Rescue Me
by Hollypop2018
Summary: "You killed my brother!" Angelina hissed with so much venom that Regina had to restrain herself from laughing amusedly. "Many men have lost their lives under my reign, dear." "This is different," she disagreed. "My brother died before you became the queen." "Is that so?" The Evil Queen sneered. "And what was your brother's name?" "Daniel." And Regina froze. Regina/ OC mentor fic
1. Prologue

_**Author's Note: If many of you recognize this story, it's because it has already been posted once before on this site by a dear friend of mine. Due to some conflict, the previous author is unable to complete this story, and has handed it off to me. The author disclosed certain plot points to me, and has given me the material of the original piece. This being said, the author has given me creative rights to play around with the plot, and to add my own spin on it. I was a fan of the original "Rescue Me" story, and only wish to do it justice and write to the satisfaction of the author and the original story's followers. Whether you are familiar or new to the story, if you wish to embark on this journey with me, please comment, follow and favorite. Let me know what you wish to see and what you don't care for. I have so many neat ideas that I can't wait to get around to! I appreciate any feedback, and I hope you enjoy my take on "Rescue Me," originally written by Jezek10. **_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters belong to the Once Upon A Time writers **Edward Kitsis** and **Adam Horowitz. The OC's are brought to you by Jezek10. ****

_..._

_Prologue: _

Darkness engulfed her. The rough fabric that covered her eyes was tied so taught that she could feel the blood rushing through her head. She found it odd that her captors had chosen to not bind her mouth as well. Apparently it didn't matter if she screamed or called for help. Either no one would hear her or she was so far away from civilization that no one of importance would follow her voice and free her. This thought scared her, even shook her to the core. But it also brought a vague sense of relief. At least she couldn't drag anyone else into this hellish nightmare.

A cough escaped her mouth, and she found herself involuntarily tugging at the chains that held her upright off the ground and against the grimy wall at her backside. Her underarms were immensely sore from the strain of her body's weight holding her down. Her chest ached so badly that the slightest movement made her seethe and hiss in pain. Her limbs protested in a series of cracks, pops and groans as she shifted her weight to better accommodate the confines she found herself in. It felt good to stand. She stretched her neck, and sighed in satisfaction when it popped. She licked her dry lips out of habit, and wasn't surprised when she tasted blood. In fact, she could feel a warm stickiness matted close to her temple. An injury, no doubt. Her skin, grimy and dirty, crawled with the eerie drip dropping sounds that echoed throughout the empty room.

The room smelled dank, almost reminiscent of sewage. Although the stench wasn't unbearable, it was enough to encourage her to test the length of the chains binding her to the wall by taking a few steps forward. She only had a foot or so of slack on the shackles. The iron felt heavy around her wrists as she continued to hold herself upright. In fact, the slightest burning sensation seared her wrists as the metal pressed against the thin layers of skin protecting the pulsing blood beneath. Where was she? How long was she meant to be kept here? How long had she been out for? What had happened before she blacked out...?

And then the memories came rushing back. Anger, guilt and sorrow raged within her chest, and with the rise in adrenaline that coursed through her veins, she growled and tugged as aggressively as she could against the shackles. Her tendons and muscles contorted and cramped with all the effort she put forth in attempting to budge the chains from the wall. Even jarring them in the slightest would give her hope. Perhaps she could escape. Perhaps she could be strong, fearless and never surrender. What would Regina do...?

That thought alone was enough to stop her. Who was she kidding? Regina Mills wouldn't be in this position in the first place. So much for being the surrogate daughter of the evil queen...

"Dammit!" she barked out of frustration, and thus beginning a long slur of curses that uncontrollably escaped her lips. When she ran out of steam and motivation, she huffed and groaned, banging the back of her head against the wall. She didn't mind the stars that swam across her vision. It only clarified that she was, indeed, alive.

As she stood there, with nothing but the continuous drip dropping of presumable sewage ringing in her ears, she became increasingly aware of a sensation that prickled across her flesh, causing goosebumps to ignite across her skin. She shivered involuntarily and pressed her lips together as she listened to the silence.

Someone was watching her.

"Who's there?" she called hoarsely, even though she already had a good idea of who was lurking in the shadows. By her tone it was obvious that she was exhausted and deflated. "I know you're here," she added warily. "There's no need to keep your presence a secret."

A silence ensued. She listened for any sign of detectable movement. Just when she thought that she had been wrong and was only imagining things, a sultry voice penetrated the tension in the air, calming her yet striking fear into her very core all at once.

"It seems as though I was right," the sickening voice spoke, making her cringe.

She allowed a sigh to escape her lips, blood boiling. "Right about what, witch?" she spat venomously.

"Do not test me, child," the voice growled, growing closer to where she stood. "If you did not have something that I so desperately need, I would not tolerate such behavior."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she responded cagily.

"You are quite the hidden gem," the voice ignored the girl's question as if she had not spoken, lingering on the border of awe and frustration. "I know why you're so special to her. To the Queen. Regina."

The girl paused before answering, momentarily stumped by the comment. "Care to enlighten me then?" she quipped sarcastically, still slightly ruffled.

A chuckle echoed off the walls of the room, taunting and teasing. "You really don't know, do you dear?"

"Know what...?"

"You truly don't," the voice reiterated, this time in amusement and confirmation. "You don't know the power you hold. You don't realize the purpose of your existence. You play a very important role in the lives of those you hold dear. This is no accident..." The next time she spoke, the voice snarled right into her ear, the warmth of breath uncomfortably tickling her skin. "It must be quaint and simple remaining oblivious to your abilities. However, it dreads me to say that you shan't retain them for long..."

And then... Pain. Searing pain that tore through the senses.

As she listened to her own cries ring in her ears, she thought of Regina and Henry. Praying that they were safe, and would never have to encounter the likes of this dark sorceress ever again.


	2. If It Is The Last Thing I Do

_Months earlier..._

Lina barged into Granny's Diner, earning looks of confusion, surprise and irritation. She scanned every face within the room, and swept past all of the tables, searching for a certain intelligent brown haired, green eyed boy. Everyone shied away from her as she searched rampantly. Normally, this would have irritated Lina, but right now, she was thankful for it. It prevented distractions from arising.

There were just as many perks as there were drawbacks to being the mayor's daughter. First off, no one messed with Lina in fear of upsetting the mayor. Although Lina wasn't sure whether this was considered good thing or a bad thing, it allowed her to get away with a lot. Sure, Lina didn't have many friends because of it, but it honestly didn't bother her in the slightest. Lina considered herself a loner anyways. If anything, being the mayor's daughter allowed her to dress the part it entailed, overdramatizing her posture, clothing, hair and even makeup to be more intimidating and regal.

There were times that Lina enjoyed the effect she had on people. She was tall, pretty and walked with a confidence that only came with being the mayor's kid. Yet, technically speaking, Lina wasn't Regina Mills' daughter. Not by blood. Regina had taken Lina in just as she had adopted Henry a few years after Lina had lived with her. Initially, Lina had been offended with the idea of another child living under the same roof, but she soon had warmed to the idea upon observing how badly Regina longed to raise a child of her own.

Lina shook these thoughts from her head as she continued to sweep across the diner. No one dared question nor even approach her. That is, no one apart from Ruby Lucas.

"Woah Lina! Slow down! What's going on?"

"Has Henry been in here this afternoon?" Lina snapped quickly, eyes still grazing the facility.

"No, why?" Ruby frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I can't find him," Lina supplied shortly.

"Well there are only so many places he can go. I'm sure he's around here somewh—"

"But he's NOT, Ruby!" Lina hissed frantically, looking the waitress in the eyes for the first time since entering the diner. Lina's eyes were pooled with fear, uncertainty and urgency. "I've been looking everywhere all afternoon. He's nowhere to be found! If something happened to him I don't know what I'll do..."

Lina froze as thoughts of harm towards her younger brother manifested in her mind. It made her nauseous, and her knees began to buckle. Ruby was well aware that Lina looked like she was going to be sick, and gently took hold of her wrists.

"Why don't you sit for a while and regroup?" she suggested, guiding her over to a stool at the bar. "Here. Sit down and I will get you something warm to drink. My treat. Your skin feels like ice."

Lina nodded numbly, not really listening, but feeling as though the waitress was talking sense. She plopped down onto the stool and took a deep breath. "She is going to kill me," Lina groaned to herself as she buried her head into her arms upon the countertop.

"She will not," Ruby reassured, pouring a steaming mug of black tea and gently pushing it towards Lina.

Angelina lifted her head and met the scantily clad form of Ruby, offering her the tea. "Thanks Rubes," she supplied with a small grateful smile. Because the pair were relatively close in age, Ruby and Lina got along great. In fact, Lina considered Ruby one of her only friends. Ruby didn't shy away from Lina as others did. Other than a few risqué details, the two were eerily identical.

"You don't know her like I do though," Lina sighed, testing the temperature of the tea by hovering her palm over the steam of the mug. "She's so overprotective of Henry. When she's not around, I'm held one hundred percent accountable for anything that ever happens to him. He's missing, and I'm so beyond dead. Cheers," she toasted dryly. Lina let the liquid scald her throat and tongue, downing the drink as an adult would a shot of whiskey. She could feel a major migraine coming on. Regina was going to flat out die.

"You're overreacting," Ruby said, pouring more tea into her friend's mug. "He's around somewhere. Maybe you're just missing him."

"Maybe..." Lina didn't sound convinced.

"Where all have you looked?"

"Literally everywhere," Lina shook her head in disbelief. "He didn't meet me where usually meet to walk home from school. He wasn't at the park. He wasn't at Dr. Hopper's office. He's not at home... I even snuck around Regina's office in the off chance that he went there!"

"What about the arcade? Library? Movie theatre?"

"Everywhere," Lina confirmed with a nod.

"Does he have a secret hideout or some place that he ever sneaks off to?" Ruby asked.

"Hell if I know!" Lina shrugged.

Henry had been very distant in the recent weeks. While he still included Lina in his shenanigans, a borderline form of hostility had manifested towards their mom ever since he had received a book of fairy tales from an unknown source. Lina had her theories of how he had received it, Mary Margret, his school teacher, being at the top of the list. The book had influenced her brother in such a way that was quite puzzling to Lina. He had it embedded into his brain that everyone living in Storybrooke, Maine were characters in this book of fairy tales. Angelina sensed that Regina Mills, mayor of Storybrooke, and adoptive mother to both Lina and Henry, partially blamed her daughter for the sudden obsession Henry had developed with his newly found book of fairytales. Regina hadn't actually said it, but Lina could tell that her mother disapproved of her lack of involvement to stop Henry's overactive imagination when it came to the fairytales. When it had gotten to the point where Henry actually believed that each and every person in Storybrooke was a character from one of the fairytales presented in the book, Regina insisted that Henry attended sessions of therapy with Doctor Archie Hopper, the town therapist.

However ridiculous it sounded, Lina didn't dare speak of Henry's theories of fairytale nonsense aloud. It was already bad enough that he hauled the book around with him everywhere he went. It would only make it worse if she vocalized that he believed the book was truth rather than fiction. In fact, she was surprised that their mother had not snatched the book away a long time ago. Surely the reason why Henry had suddenly formed such a barrier between he and his mother spoke as a testament to what implications of Regina's character supposedly lay within the binds of the book. Maybe Lina should talk to Henry about what he had read. Perhaps talk some sense into him. He would open up to her if she took the initiative, right?

"So what are you going to do?" Ruby questioned sympathetically, drawing Lina out of her thoughts.

"I guess I have to tell Regina..." Lina cringed at the thought as she sipped at her tea. "But I think I'd like to search a bit more before going home."

"So...if Regina were here right now... Would you tell her the truth?" Ruby pressed with a sly smirk.

"I guess so," Lina's brows furrowed at the question. "I mean, I have to if I don't find him at some point."

"Good," Ruby nodded in approval. "Because here's your chance."

"Lina?" a silky smooth voice spoke behind Angelina, making the hair on the back of her neck stand straight on end. Lina's ears perked and her face fell as she processed the distinct, recognizable voice that most feared to hear speak their name. She watched in bewilderment as Ruby winked and turned away to tend to the other customers within the diner.

_Thanks for the warning._ Lina rolled her eyes

Lina's expression softened as she put on a noteworthy facade. She turned with an expression of surprise. "Mom?" Regina Mills stood at Lina's side, looking intimidating and as beautiful as ever. "What are you doing here?"

"I think that I should be the one asking the questions," Regina spoke sternly, taking a seat next to Lina. "Where's Henry?"

Lina had to restrain herself from gulping. Regina had a way of cutting straight to the chase. However, unbeknownst to her, Lina was the only person Regina could never distinguish a lie from. So, Regina had no idea that Lina was lying her ass off and buzzing on the inside when she spoke her next set of words.

"He's with Archie. Where else?" Lina shrugged, suppressing her nerves as she took another swig of her hot tea.

Regina frowned and looked at her wristwatch. "Shouldn't he be getting out about now?"

"Usually, yes," Lina nodded. "But we got there a tad late today. He won't be getting out for at least another thirty minutes." _Giving me thirty minutes of looking for Henry_.

"Why were you late?" Regina demanded, a quizzical expression donning her features.

"Henry and I got caught up talking to Miss Margret about Henry's progress," Lina responded quickly.

At this, Regina's nostrils momentarily flared and her eyes narrowed. It was no secret that Regina hated Mary Margret with a passion, but for what no one knew. As far as everyone was concerned, Mary Margret had never done anything to Regina, apart from take the crap the mayor threw at her constantly.

"I am running to the store to grab ingredients for Lasagna," Regina ignored Lina's last explanation. "As soon as Henry's finished, come straight home."

"Absolutely," Lina flashed as sincere of a smile as she could manage to indicate she understood.

Regina eyed Lina for a few seconds before giving a curt nod and standing to leave. She stroked Lina's cheek lovingly, and cupped her chin, giving the younger girl a genuine smile before departing from Granny's. As soon as Lina heard the door close, she released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

"Way to go, champ," Ruby chuckled sarcastically as she swept past, carrying a tray of food to a family seated at the corner of the diner.

"God am I dead," Lina deadpanned, collapsing onto the countertop once again as she allowed fear, apprehension and anxiety to consume her. "They're going to have to do DNA testing to identify the body," she griped beneath her breath as she gathered her belongings and rushed out of the diner.

When the cold, frigid air bit at her skin, she began walking at a quicker pace, determined to find Henry. If only Lina had but known that he was miles away in Boston, Massachusetts, as determined as she to find someone by the name of Emma Swan...

...

Lina stood before her home, a sinking feeling pulling at her gut. It was almost dark outside, and she could feel the anxiety tingling beneath her skin and the fear making her face flush. As expected, Lina had not located Henry. She had searched everywhere, even venturing into Mr. Gold's shop in the off chance that Henry would actually be there. She was worried of what Regina would do, think and say, but she was more concerned for Henry's safety. Her desire to keep her brother out of harm's way was what gave her the courage to take the steps up to the door and enter the threshold of what was sure to be a releasing of hell.

As soon as she entered the house, she wanted to run back out. But perseverance drove her on. She had to ensure Henry's safety. Unfortunately, this entailed informing her mother that he was missing.

The aroma of tomato sauce, cheese, garlic and other Italian spices guided Lina to the kitchen. Sure enough, there stood Regina, bustling away in an apron as she hurriedly tried to put a meal together.

"Dinner's almost ready," she announced as she tossed the side salad she was preparing with some tongs. Lina leaned against the door frame, watching her mom make dinner. It was at times like this that Regina looked normal and not so superhuman. It was at times like this that Lina wished the townspeople could see her mom in the kitchen, completing daily chores just like everyone else. Maybe they wouldn't see her solely as the resilient mayor of Storybrooke, but as a normal human being who just wanted a sense of peaceful serenity in her life.

"Don't forget the red pepper flakes," Lina reminded softly, a heartfelt grin that touched her eyes gracing her features.

For the first time since she entered the room, Regina acknowledged her daughter with an admiring smirk prying at her lips. "Never!" she teased with a small chuckle. "Is Henry upstairs?"

"Uh—" the tender moment passed and the severity of what was to take place ripped through Lina's gut like a raging hurricane.

"Tell him to wash up," Regina instructed, consumed by the preparation of food. "It'll be ready in about five minutes."

Lina wished with all her heart that she didn't have to break the news to her mother, shattering whatever was left of the normalcy in her life, but she had no choice.

"Mom...I...um..." Lina fumbled for the right words to say. However, nothing she said would ease the blow. "Dinner shouldn't be your biggest concern right now."

Regina stopped what she was doing and looked her daughter dead in the eyes. "Why? What's wrong? Where's -?" Regina paused upon looking at Lina's face. Lina didn't even try to put up a steely front. She was scared and wasn't going to even try to hide it.

"Angelina," Regina adopted a threatening voice and Lina cringed. Regina only used her full name the when a serious circumstance called for it. "Where's Henry?" she spoke as her voice threatened to crack.

Lina held Regina's worried gaze with unshed tears. "He's missing."

"But, he was just with Doctor Hopper. How far could he have gone?" Regina shook her head, denying what Lina was implying. Angelina's eyes darted guiltily, and she massaged her temple in response. Regina caught on quickly. "You lied to me," she accused with so much betrayal in her voice that it was amazing Lina didn't collapse into a pool of messy sobs then and there.

"Why didn't you call the sheriff's station?" Regina's raised her voice and strode over to Lina, all thoughts of preparing dinner forgotten.

"I thought I could find him," Lina explained desperately. "When he didn't meet me after school, I searched everywhere."

"If that's the case, then what in the world were you doing at Granny's?" Regina roared, ripping her apron from her body.

"I went to Granny's looking for Henry," Lina explained. "Then I figured I might as well regroup. I had been trying to figure out where he was for at least an hour by that point."

"Angelina, you promised me you would take care of him when I'm not around," Regina pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, forehead creased in worry.

"And I've never broken that promise until now! Please don't play the guilt card on me! I already feel bad enough as it is," Lina interrupted, momentarily befuddled that Regina would even feel the need to remind her of this promise.

"Lina, do you realize that if something happened to him—"

"You aren't the only one hurting!" Lina practically screeched, tears finally spilling down her cheeks, even through the furious glare she gave Regina. "Who's the one who takes care of him almost every single day? Who's the one that helps him with his homework, makes sure he gets to bed at a decent hour, watches movies with him and takes him to his therapy sessions? Who's the one that is actually there for him when he needs it? If I recall correctly, that's me! So don't you dare suggest that I am indifferent to his disappearance."

Regina opened her mouth to retaliate, then closed it abruptly. If looks could kill, the glare Regina gave Lina in that moment would have slaughtered her on the spot.

"Look," Lina said more calmly, unsuccessfully trying to diffuse the tension. "We're wasting time. You should call Sheriff Graham and report that Henry's missing."

Regina, still flustered at Lina's outburst, clenched her jaw and swallowed thickly. She didn't so much as acknowledge Lina as she brushed past her. Lina sighed and hurried after her mom. The two didn't notice nor care that the lasagna was burning as they dialed the sheriff's office in a silence that spoke more clearly that the police sirens that sounded outside.

...

Angelina sat quietly on the living room couch, nervously bouncing her legs up and down as she worried. Sheriff Graham had arrived shortly after Regina had contacted him. He had asked Lina a series of questions, mainly pertaining to when and where she had searched for Henry. Graham had contacted some authorities in surrounding areas in an attempt to locate Henry, but they had run into a dead end.

Regina was now pacing about the room, on the verge of a mental breakdown. She still hadn't said a word to Lina since their altercation. In many ways, Lina felt one hundred percent responsible for everything that had transpired over the past few hours. But the thing she felt the most guilty about was Regina's mental state.

"Now, where was the last place you saw Henry?" Graham asked for the umpteenth time.

"At the bus stop on his way to school," Lina replied as if she was a recording on repeat.

"Are you sure he made it there?" Graham continued.

"To school? Yes. His teacher said that he left in a hurry as soon as class was released," Lina explained.

"So it can be assumed that he knew what he was doing when he left town," Graham concluded.

Regina continued to pace, a hand over her mouth as she strained to keep her composure. Graham continued to take notes and write a report. Lina continued to stare into space, willing the conflicting emotions within herself to correspond.

"Did you hear that?" Regina spoke suddenly. Both Lina and Graham's heads snapped up just in time to see Regina rushing out of the living room to the front door. Lina and Graham shared a look of uncertainty before hurrying after her.

Regina threw open the door in a haste, and almost collapsed when she spotted her son standing on the walkway leading to the front door. Lina caught up shortly after, and instantly felt a huge wave of relief overcome her. She beamed as a few unwanted tears of joy slipped down her cheeks.

Regina rushed to Henry, overcome with emotion and the need to embrace him. "Henry!" she exclaimed as she ran to meet him. As Regina closed him into a firm hug, she sighed his name in relief. "Henry." A warm feeling filled her heart and compelled her to ask many questions. "Are you ok? Where have you been? What happened?" she pulled back and held his shoulders, concerned and joyous all in one.

However, Henry's answer put a damper on things. "I found my real mom!" he cried indignantly. It was then that Regina and Lina noticed another woman standing nearby Henry. A tall, blonde, attractive looking woman who looked on at the scene with uncertainty and hesitation. Releasing himself from his adoptive mother's grip, Henry jerked away from Regina and ran through the door, roughly pushing past Graham and Lina. He swept upstairs to his room without another word.

A moment of silence between the remaining ensued.

Lina decided to depart the awkward situation and pursue Henry. When she reached his door, she didn't even bother knocking.

"Henry!" Lina called in exasperation as she barged through the door. She calmed a bit upon seeing him slumped over his bed in exhaustion.

"Hey Lina," he greeted in a tired tone. "What's up?"

Lina's jaw just about hit the floor. "What's up?!" she cried. "You had me worried sick for the past few hours! That's what's up!"

At Henry's guilty expression, Lina softened and crashed beside him onto her brother's bed. "Despite that, I believe a welcome home is in order. Mind telling me where you've been all this time?"

"Boston," Henry shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"You went all the way to Boston on your own?!" Lina exclaimed. Henry nodded slowly. Lina debated the idea for a few seconds. She considered chastising him for all the danger he put himself in, but quickly figured that he would get enough of that from Regina. Instead, she playfully nudged Henry in the shoulder and smiled. "Nice! But seriously, you know how dangerous that was right?"

"Yeah... I'm sorry," Henry relented.

"Ha! You should be," Lina barked, though less aggressively than she felt. "Do you know how much trouble I'm in? I thought Mom was just about to murder me! God, I've never seen her so worried..."

"I'm sorry," Henry repeated. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You should have thought of that before you ran off," Lina snapped. "I mean, why didn't you just tell me? I might have been inclined to help you if you had just told me!"

"Yeah right! You wouldn't have helped!" Henry protested.

"What makes you say that?"

"You're too scared of her..."

"Who? Mom?" Lina pressed. Henry nodded solemnly, staring his sister in the eyes. "Am not!" she protested.

"Whatever you say..." Henry rolled his eyes, dropping the topic though not convinced in the slightest. "Was mom really worried?" he asked skeptically.

"Of course!" Lina responded defensively. "You should've seen her. She was on the verge of a mental breakdown." Lina watched Henry absorb her words. His brows furrowed as if he didn't really believe it, and his mouth drew into a small pout.

"Is that woman down there really your birth mother?" Lina questioned curiously.

Henry nodded with more enthusiasm than Lina had ever seen him have. "Yeah! Her name's Emma Swan," he added for emphasis.

"How'd you manage to find her?" Lina continued, but was interrupted.

"Angelina," Regina spoke from Henry's doorway, arms crossed and head tilted to one side. "I suggest the both of you get to bed. It's late and you both have school tomorrow."

"Yeah, alright," Lina responded without looking back, ignoring the tension in the air and instead smiling sadly at Henry. "See you in the morning," she ruffled his hair playfully.

"Hey," Henry giggled, pushing her hand off.

"Sleep tight, squirt," Lina chuckled, leaning in and crushing him in a tight hug. "I'm glad you're safe." She then left Henry's room, sweeping past Regina and crossing the hallway to her own room.

Shutting the door behind her, she released the biggest sigh of relief that she ever had in her life. Apart from being in the dog house with Regina, Henry was safe. At least Henry didn't have to endure their mother's wrath alone. Regina was just as upset, if not more upset, with Angelina. Not only had Lina failed to keep Henry in her sights, but she had also gone off on Regina in such a way that likely had hurt her more deeply than anything.

But Lina couldn't think about that now. That was a problem for tomorrow. Now, the only thing Lina was concerned about was sleep. She didn't even feel her head hit the pillows when she crashed onto her mattress.

...

_"Do you always make an effort to visit your prisoners, your majesty?" Angelina smiled wryly in spite of herself. She had known that the Queen had been lurking around the corner for some time now, watching and calculating. She just hadn't made her presence known._

_Regina, instead of acting surprised that the girl had known she had been there the whole time, casually emerged from the darkness of the dungeon and replied coolly, "Only those worth interest to me."_

_"And of what interest am I to you?" Angelina made eye contact with the piercing brown eyes of the Evil Queen._

_"I haven't decided yet," the regal Queen admitted with a small smirk. "You invaded my palace, killed or snuck past all of my armed guards, and succeeded in raiding my chambers with the single intent to kill me. AND, you did all of this alone," the queen paced about. She neared closer to the cell keeping Angelina locked up and eased her face closer to the bars. "What could have driven you to do this?" she smiled in semi-admiration._

_"You killed my brother," Angelina hissed with so much venom that Regina had to restrain herself from laughing with amusement._

_"Ah, yes! Revenge!" she smiled. "Such a powerful thing. Such an invigoration of rage, passion and determination. I, for one, understand exactly how you feel."_

_"Then you'll understand why I'm not leaving without carving your heart out of your chest," Angelina retorted. She neared the bars of the cage and clutched onto them with a tight grip. "I will destroy you if it's the last thing I do," she growled._

_Regina's smile wiped off her face in an instant and was replaced with a glare that had so much intensity that it could kill. Angelina, however, met her stare with equal ferocity._

_"I wish I remembered where I've seen your face before," Regina stated after a brief period of silence._

_"Is that so?" Angelina played dumb, slightly unnerved._

_"Yes," Regina mused, studying Angelina with such scrutiny._

_"Feel free to juggle the possibilities," Angelina quipped dryly, taking a few steps back from the bars of the cell._

_The Evil Queen eyed Angelina curiously before speaking."You must have been planning this for a long time," she continued, searching Angelina's eyes with a desperate expression. "The look in your eyes is jaded by such hatred that only solidifies with the passing of time. How young were you when you began fantasizing your revenge, dear?"_

_"Regardless of what you think," Angelina snapped. "It was never my sole purpose to kill you. At least not initially... Unlike you, I wasn't born with evil intentions lodged in my heart."_

_"Ah, my dear," the Queen crooned. "You have much to learn about the ways of the world." She leaned forward so that her face was only inches away from Angelina's. "Evil isn't born," she whispered in her ear, sending shivers down Angelina's spine. "It's made."_

_"Then what drove you to kill my brother?" Angelina retorted._

_The Queen smirked softly, without as much enthusiasm as before. "Many men have lost their lives under my reign, dear. Your brother just happened to fall during my rise."_

_"That's where you're wrong," Angelina spoke firmly, but with a sense of vulnerability. "This is different."_

_For once, the Queen had nothing to say other than, "How so?"_

_"My brother died before you became queen."_

_"Is that so?" Regina sneered, turning away from the young girl. "And what was your brother's name?" she called over her shoulder while pursing her lips._

_Angelina took a deep breath before speaking his name. It never ceased to amaze her how hard it was to utter these two syllables. And while she tried to keep her voice steady and strong, it came out in a choked sigh._

_"Daniel. Your stable boy."_

_Regina froze dead in her tracks, much to Angelina's amazement. Angelina watched curiously as the Queen slowly arched her neck to glance at her. The Queen's facial expression was contorted, not in anger or fear, but in despair. Her eyes glistened in the torchlight as her forehead creased after given the painful reminder of her first love's murder. Her true love. A slaughter not committed by her own hand, but by her mother's. Regina's eyes locked with that of the young girl's. Angelina was frozen in shock at the queen's reaction. The Queen looked sorrowful and vulnerable. It didn't suit her very well, but made her all the more human. But before Angelina could ask her another question, or even speak, the Queen adopted an indifferent expression and stormed out of the dungeon without another word, leaving Angelina with a foreboding feeling that she may have just witnessed a piece of Regina's heart flare to life._

_..._

Lina shot out of bed without warning. Her head felt as if there were sharp pins jabbing into her skull. Blinking the blurriness from her vision, Lina caught sight of a shadow moving swiftly, right outside her doorway. Hauling herself up, she chased after the unknown presence. She peered outside her room to see Henry creeping down the stairs as quietly as he could.

"Henry!" Lina hissed, and Henry jumped. "Where're you going?"

"Out," Henry whispered, treading over a few more steps.

Lina rolled her eyes when she realized that it was only the early hours of morning. The sun hadn't even appeared and Henry was leaving! "Well hold on! I'm coming with you," Lina spoke.

Henry stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face Lina full on. "Really? You aren't going to tell mom?"

"Are you serious?" Lina scoffed. "We're both in the dog house, remember?" Henry grinned widely and shrugged in agreeance. "Besides," Lina added. "I have a Calculus test today that I haven't even studied for. I'd much rather spend time with you. Now hang on. Let me grab my coat."

And with that, side by side, brother and sister, Lina and Henry snuck out of their home.

...

Lina stood atop Henry's secret playhouse castle, watching the waves roll over each other in the distant waters and crash onto the sand as the sun peered over the horizon. Apparently, Ruby was right. Henry did indeed have a secret hideout.

"This is awesome!" Lina laughed joyously. "Why haven't you told me about this place before? It's like a secret fort!"

"Honestly?" Henry stood beside Lina and leaned over the railing. "I was afraid you'd tell mom. You know how she freaks out about my safety..."

"Oh believe me when I say I do," Lina bit her lip and rolled her eyes. "Last night was the perfect example." Henry sat in a reflective silence whilst the two just stood and enjoyed each other's company.

"Guess what I have?" Henry spoke excitedly, running over to his backpack to retrieve something from it. He pulled out two packages of Starburst candies from the outer pocket.

"No way!" Lina exclaimed as she snatched one of the packages from Henry's grasp. "I used to sneak these to you all the time when you were younger!"

"I know," Henry nodded enthusiastically. "That's why I got them."

Lina grinned widely, quickly and effectively unwrapping a tightly packaged red candy before popping it into her mouth. "I forgot how good these were," Lina hummed.

Henry and Lina continued to stand and chew on the sweet, savoring candies, once again falling into a reflective silence, consumed by the need to devour the sugar-filled taffy.

"So..." Lina started awkwardly after swallowing another taffy candy. "I've been thinking. You know how you think that everyone in Storybrooke are fairytale characters?"

"Oh I don't think. I know," Henry quipped cockily.

"Okay," Lina drawled. "So, if that's true, then what character am I?"

Henry wrinkled his nose and pursed his lips. "I haven't figured that out yet. You're... Different. Maybe even an exception."

Lina narrowed her eyes in puzzlement. "What character is mom?"

Henry gave Lina a dubious look. "I don't think you're ready for that yet."

Lina gave Henry an odd look, then shrugged and continued her interrogation. "What character are you?"

"I'm not a character," Henry corrected her. "I'm the son of the savior."

"Savior? Your birth mother?"

Henry nodded. "She's the one that will lift the curse. Then you'll all remember who you are."

"Right," Lina responded warily. "You do realize how crazy this sounds, don't you?"

"Do you think I'm crazy?" Henry whispered fearfully.

"No," Lina reassured. "No, I don't think you're crazy. But I do think you have an overactive imagination."

"Then why do you think the clock in the town square hasn't ever moved?" Henry protested.

"Squirt," Lina sighed. "That thing hasn't moved for as long as I can remember."

"Exactly!" Henry exclaimed. "It's because time is frozen here! Why else do you think no one has aged in this town apart from me?"

"I've aged!" Lina protested defensively.

"No you haven't," Henry scoffed. "You don't look any different now than you did eight years ago when I was a toddler!"

Lina paused and thought it over while Henry continued.

"You've been in high school for ten years. No one seems to remember anything about their lives before they lived in Storybrooke, AND everyone does the same thing, over and over, day after day! Don't you find that weird?"

Lina was at a lost for words. Henry did have some valid points, but his theory still seemed too far fetched. "Well, I have noticed that everyone has the same routines. I'm not going to deny that Storybrooke is an odd place. But, Henry," she turned to fully face him and kneeled down to his level. "What you're saying is complete fantasy! It's just not possible."

Henry didn't seem the least bit bothered by Lina's denial. "That's just the curse acting within you."

"What is this curse you keep talking about," Lina shook her head in confusion.

Henry sighed and smiled at Lina much like a parent would to a child when he or she was doing something cute and memorable. "You really need to read the book."

"Ok," Lina agreed. "I will. Give it to me now so I can start."

"Can't do that," Henry said.

"Why not?"

"I left it with Emma."

"Your birth mother?" Lina replied skeptically. Henry nodded. "I'm willing to bet that wasn't an accident," Lina chuckled.

"You know me so well," Henry recited dramatically. Lina laughed as she sat down on the wood of the playground floor.

The two spent the whole day up there, enjoying the views the beach presented and basking in each others' company. They caught up with each other and joked as all brothers and sisters do. They chased each other around the beach, reminisced over old times and even slept on the cold, mushy sand. It was the best day either had had in a long time. That is, until a woman made her way over to the castle.

Lina and Henry didn't even notice she was there until she began climbing the wooden ladder at the base of the structure. Once she reached the top platform, the young blonde stood there, uncertainly staring between Henry and Lina while clutching a hardback golden book to her chest. After a few moments of awkward silence, she decided to sit at Henry's right side, throwing her legs over the edge, allowing them to dangle.

"You left this in my car," she spoke to Henry as she handed him the book. Across the cover read Once Upon a Time. Lina smiled sullenly as she watched Henry inspect to binding and cover.

"Hey, I don't think we met," the woman added, turning her attention to Lina.

Lina responded courteously and held out her hand to the woman. "I know. I'm Lina," Lina smiled as warmly as she could manage.

The woman took the young girl's hand and responded with her own name. "Emma. Emma Swan. I'm..." she trailed off, looking to Henry for an explanation of who she was.

"The woman who gave birth to Henry?" Lina offered sheepishly.

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "Let's go with that."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Miss Swan," Lina chuckled, shaking the woman's hand.

Emma nodded and withdrew her hand. She gazed across the scene before her, spotting the town square clock sticking out amongst the horizon of buildings. "It still hasn't moved, huh?" Emma asked, directing her question at Henry.

"I was hoping that when I brought you back, that things would change here," Henry explained. "That the final battle would begin." Lina listened in on the conversation curiously, but forced herself to look out at the sand and ocean indifferently as to not seem overly intrusive.

"I'm not fighting any battles, kid," Emma responded despondently.

"Yes you are," Henry spoke with so much conviction "You're here because its your destiny. You're gonna bring back the happy endings."

"Can you cut it with the book crap?" Emma snapped in exasperation, emulating Lina's own feelings toward the subject.

"You don't have to be hostile," Henry spoke softly. "I know you like me," he smiled delicately. "I can tell. You're just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty."

"Henry!" Lina snapped, breaking her indifference by lightly shoving him. He hardly knew this woman. Even if she did give birth to him, nothing gave Henry the authority or right to make references to Emma giving up her son.

"It's ok," Henry continued, ignoring Lina's warning. "I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me my best chance."

An awkward pause in the conversation ensued. Lina dared a glance at Emma. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes reflected the sorrow she felt for herself and her son.

"How do you know that?" her voice came out in a choked whisper.

"Its the same reason Snow White gave you away," Henry answered as if it was obvious.

"Listen, kid," Emma sighed. "I'm not in any book. I'm a real person. I'm no savior." She paused as she took a deep breath. "You were right about one thing," Emma stared affectionately at Henry. "I wanted you to have your best chance," a tear slipped down her cheek. "But it's not with me," she added looking back at Angelina with a guilty expression.

"C'mon, let's go you two," Emma wiped at her face and leaped down from the playground.

"Please don't take me back there!" Henry protested, running after Emma. Lina lingered behind just enough to hear the conversation and not get in the way. "Just stay with me for one week; that's all I ask. One week and you'll see I'm not crazy," Henry cried.

"I have to get you back to your mom!" Emma exclaimed.

"You don't know what it's like with her! My life sucks!" Henry rebutted. Lina couldn't help but feel a piece of her heart break. Henry's life wasn't that bad...was it?

"Do you want to know what sucking is?" Emma challenged. "Being abandoned on the side of a freeway. My parents didn't even bother dropping me off at a hospital! Ended up in the foster system and I had a family until I was three, but then they had their own kid so they sent me back!" Emma took a deep breath to calm herself. "Look, your mom is trying her best," Emma reassured Henry as he listened intently. "I know its hard. And I know sometimes you think she doesn't love you, but at least she wants you."

"Your parents didn't leave you on the side of the freeway," Henry spoke confidently, ignoring all else that was said. "That's just where you came through."

"What?" Emma's brows furrowed.

"The wardrobe," Henry explained. "When you went through the wardrobe, you appeared in the street. Your parents were trying to save you from the curse."

"Sure they were," Emma laughed in amusement. "C'mon Henry," she took his hand into hers. Emma looked back over her shoulder and spotted Lina staring off into the ocean's distance, arms crossed and an eerily pensive look planted across her face. "Coming Lina?" she called. Lina snapped out of her daze and resolutely followed Emma and Henry back home, mind still focused on every word Henry had said.

...

Henry and Lina approached the front door, heads bowed sheepishly as Emma followed close behind. Regina stood at the doorway, arms crossed and a cold expression hardening her features as she looked at Emma with a scrutinizing expression. Henry slipped past her and into the house as quickly as possible to prevent a scolding. And while Angelina tried to do the same, she was stopped by Regina placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Angelina, would you please watch the pasta on the stove?" she asked coolly, gaze still fixed upon Emma.

"Umm... Yeah, sure," Lina mumbled, realizing that her mother was dismissing her. So, uncertainly, she left as she felt the growing tension build between her mother and Emma Swan.

Lina drummed her fingers on the kitchen countertop impatiently while eyeing the boiling water on the stove. As she stood there, a heated conversation taking place at the front door carried its way to her ears. Curious as to what was going on between Emma and her mom, Lina snatched an apple from a stash of her mother's homegrown apples and silently rounded the corner out of the kitchen to eavesdrop on the ensuing conversation.

"So I suggest you get in your car and leave this town. Because if you don't, I will destroy you if it's the last thing I do," Lina heard Regina threaten. She frowned. She had never heard her mother sound this hostile. Lina peered around the corner to survey the scene. Regina and Emma were facing each other, less than a foot apart. While Regina's back was facing Lina, she was able to make out Emma's face, which wore an expression of bewilderment. "Goodbye Miss Swan," Regina spoke with a tone that indicated that the conversation was over. She turned to leave Emma but was stopped short.

"Do you love him?" Emma asked in a hard tone.

"Excuse me?" Regina snapped, whipping her head back around to face Emma.

"Henry. Do you love him?" Emma repeated.

"Of course I love him," Regina sneered with no sliver of affection. And with that, she turned on her heels and slammed the door behind her. Lina quickly ducked back into the kitchen as she heard her mom stomping in to check on her. She leaned casually over the island countertop, staring at the apple she had dug her nails into while listening to the intense conversation between her mom and Emma.

She had only heard half of it, but if she had to place bets, her mom had been the one to initiate the argument. Why did Regina have to be so abrasive and possessive?

_I will destroy you if it's the last thing I do._ That sounded a bit over the top. But Regina had meant every single word she said. After ten years of living with the woman, to Lina that much was certain. But that didn't explain why the phrase sounded so familiar. Or why it felt like a stab in her chest when she even thought about it.

Regina entered the room in a huff, heading straight for the coffee pot. _Might_ _need something a little stronger than that_, Angelina thought to herself as she bit into the apple.

_I will destroy you if it's the last thing I do._ Lina coughed as the phrase repeated in her brain. Her eyes widened when she began convulsively gagging and choking as she tried to spit the apple out of her mouth. As she choked on the apple, a series of visions flew through her head.

_Angelina leaped up to grab the most ripe, ruby red, mouth watering apple that she had seen in her entire life. Once plucked from the tree branch, she took a vigorous bite, suddenly feeling light headed and woozy. Against her will, she fell to the floor in a heap, submerging into a deep state of unconsciousness._

_When she awoke, she was in a jail cell, dumped to the floor in a heap. Beside her sat the deadly apple with a large bite taken out of it. Angelina laughed dryly and humorlessly. She should've seen that one coming. The Queen did have a certain fetish for the fruit. The apple had knocked her unconscious. And Angelina had fallen into her trap, perhaps willingly. Angelina was about to hurl the fruit across the cell, but was momentarily postponed by a multitude of stomps approaching her cell door. Not wishing to be in the presence of any of the Queen's minions, or the queen herself, Angelina shoved half the apple into her mouth and forced herself to swallow it all, hoping and praying that the more she got down, the longer she would stay unconscious. The last image she saw was the Queen approaching her convulsing body, a dangerously annoyed look on her face. That much gave Angelina pleasure._

_Then, it was later. Much later. Angelina stood at the bars of her jail cell, glaring at the Evil Queen in all her regal glory. Angelina studied the woman's facial features, lingering on the blood red hue of her lips, to the smokey rims of her eyes. She was beautiful, and could easily see why her brother had fallen in love with her at one time._

_"You killed my brother," Angelina hissed, remembering who she was speaking to._

_"Ah, yes! Revenge!" The queen smiled and began pacing lightly outside the barred door. "Such a powerful thing. Such an invigoration of rage, passion and determination. I, for one, understand exactly how you feel."_

_"Then you'll understand why I'm not leaving here without carving your heart out of your chest," Angelina glowered and gave the Queen her best death glare. "I will destroy you if it's the last thing I do."_

Angelina finally came to, finding herself gasping loudly for breath and gripping the sides of the countertop so tightly that her knuckles were white. The apple had long ago fallen to the floor, a solo bite taken from the fruit. As Angelina's senses came billowing back, she could hear her mother calling her name frantically.

"Angelina!" Regina cried for the umpteenth time, soothing her hacking form by rubbing her back. "Lina! Are you ok?"

Angelina paused and coughed a few more times, wiping apple juice from the corners of her mouth. She vaguely wondered how long Regina had been trying to get her attention and soothe her coughing.

"Daniel..?" she whispered in an awestruck voice. She hadn't meant to say it, but it came out regardless. While she didn't believe she had said the name loudly, Regina had heard it. She heard it loud and clear. It couldn't have been any clearer than if Lina had screamed it to the whole world.

Regina involuntarily tensed at the name and slowly released Lina from her hold. She tilted her head a little in confusion. "What was that, dear?" Regina searched for confirmation of what she had witnessed. Did Angelina... Remember?

"Um..nothing," Lina wiped some sweat from her brow. "I...I'm fine," she forced herself to face Regina and attempted giving her a reassuring grin. Without a second thought, Lina rushed out of the kitchen, running her hands through her hair.

Regina started going after her, but stopped at the doorway. Her eyes chased after Lina as she sprinted up the stairs in a hurry. Regina wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she was curious and concerned. She stayed glued to the spot until she heard Lina's door come to a close. Sighing and rubbing her temples, Regina allowed her two children some privacy. God only knew she needed it too...

Angelina spent the rest of the light hours of the day cooped up in her room, reflecting on everything that had transpired within the past few days. She didn't know how she felt about Emma Swan, or how she felt about her mother for that matter. Perhaps she and Regina owed it to Henry to allow him to spend some time with his birth mother. She scoffed to herself when she thought about how well that would go over with Regina.

"Angelina! I told you!" Henry bursted into the room, a triumphant look on his face.

"Told me what?" Lina jumped at his unannounced presence. Henry lurched over to Lina and tugged her arm, urging her to get out of bed.

"The clock moved. Time is continuing! Look!"

Curious, Lina crept over to her window and looked out to the dark horizon. Sure enough, the town clock, which had always read 8:15, now read 8:16. And the tiniest hand continued to tick off the seconds passing by.

"See?" Henry cried excitedly. "Emma stayed! The final battle's begun!"

"Maybe there is something to your fairytale theory, Henry..." Lina drawled as a shiver ran up her spine.

_You know he's right_, the innermost tendrils of her heart spoke. _Follow his lead, and then you'll see all that you're capable of..._

**_A/N: If you made it through this entire chapter...I applaud you. Please let me know what you thought by reviewing. Remember: Reviews fuel me to keep posting, so please don't hesitate. This hasn't deviated too far from the original story... but it will at some point. Thank you to those that have taken an interest. Until next update! _**


	3. You Will Prove To Be Most Helpful

Angelina held an apple steadily in her hand, eyeing it cautiously as she deliberated where the best spot to sink her teeth into it would be. "_This is ridiculous," _she thought to herself. _"Why am I so scared of an apple?" _

Lina knew exactly why she was so hesitant to take a bite of the fruit her mother was so keen on growing on a tree in their backyard. The last time she had, a sequence of disturbing visions had clouded her mind. Visions that she hadn't spoken about with anyone. However, Lina could tell that Regina had her suspicions. Her mom had not stopped dissecting every movement she made since Lina's little episode. Regina had been present for the convulsing fit Lina had endured. As crazy as it sounded, Lina had the foreboding feeling that Regina knew something that she didn't. But then again, Lina always felt that way when it came to her mother.

Lina was afraid of what she might see if she ate another apple. But her curiosity was stronger. She _wanted _to see more. She _craved _the possibilities of what the visions meant. She was sure Henry would have his theories if she told him. But Lina wanted to discover this on her own. After a moment's hesitation, Lina abruptly took a huge chunk out of the apple with her teeth, chewing vigorously and swallowing as quickly as possible. Nothing.

Eyes narrowed in confusion, she took another bite, savoring the flavor while opening her mind and soul to allow the visions to appear. Still nothing. This went on until all that was left in Lina's hand was a narrow apple core. She stared at it for a while, then, with a despondent huff, tossed it into the waste bin.

_"Maybe I am going crazy," _Lina thought as she drifted into the parlor at the front of the house. Mind still elsewhere, she found herself sitting down at the grand piano that Regina had insisted Lina put to good use. Regina never used it.

In fact, the only time she had ever seen Regina play the piano was many years ago, when Regina had not officially taken Lina in under her wing. Regina had not noticed Lina's presence either, otherwise Lina was quite certain she would not have continued to play the evocative tune. Lina stroked the keys of the piano and began to play a heartfelt, haunting melody as she remembered that day.

_Lina paced the block that Mayor Mills resided in. It had been a week since the woman had stopped her from leaving the town city limits and had invited Lina to her house to have dinner. When it had happened, Lina had felt comfortable with the mayor, opening up to her in an instant while feeling an odd connection and understanding with Regina's complicated emotions and actions. _

_Looking back on it, the whole situation had been odd. Very odd. Since when did Regina Mills give seem to care about anyone? Much less a teenage girl? Lina had kept her distance after that day, not wanting to be a nuisance to the overworked, busy mayor. But there was something about her that drew Lina to this mysterious, most powerful woman in the town. Why was that?_

_Finally gaining the confidence to approach the massive house, Lina silently treaded walkway leading to the mayor's estate. Would the woman even want to see her? Had Regina's invitation been a one time event? Lina was about to find out. _

_She hesitated as she brought her fist up to knock on the door. Lina was about to bring her hand down on the door when the distant sound of music drifted to her ears. Lina paused and listened more intently. The music was coming from inside. Biting her bottom lip, Lina crept around the side of the house, searching for the source of the hypnotic melodies that reached her ears. The sound was hauntingly beautiful. Simple, depressing chords that hinted at something more than the sorrowful notes played. _

_Lina rounded the corner of the house, spotting an open window along the wall. She crept her way over to it as quietly as possible, the music growing louder as she did. When Lina peered inside, she was astounded by what lay before her eyes. _

_Regina was playing the piano. The enchanting and somewhat mesmerizing tune rang through the house. The mayor's eyes were almost fully closed, absorbed in the music she played. Her feet pressed down onto the golden levers at the base of the piano as both her hands flew across the long, ivory keys. The melancholy melody sung out like a lone wolf crying out to the moon. Regina leaned into the grand piano as she played it, as if it would make the music more beautiful than it already was. _

_Lina stepped out of the window as to not get caught gawking over the mayor's abilities. She sat down on the grass, leaning her head against the wall as she listened to the delicate notes carry to her ears. She smiled at the thought of Regina opening her heart and soul through the stanzas of the music. With the music engulfing her essence, Lina fell asleep. _

Regina had found Lina soon after she had fallen asleep. Although she had thought it odd, Regina had woken Lina up and invited her in for apple cider. Lina smirked as she remembered recognizing Regina's obsession of apples for the first time.

A buzz from her phone in her back pocket halted Lina from finishing the last set of notes in the song she played. Stopping abruptly, she pulled her phone out and glanced at the text message she had just received.

**Lina, **

**It's Henry. I'm using Emma's phone. Meet us at Granny's ASAP. There's some stuff we need to talk about. See you there! **

Although Lina vaguely wondered what this was all about, she quickly retrieved her coat and rushed out of the front door, thoughts still lingering with the angelic nature of Regina's piano skills.

…

_Angelina was lounging in the Evil Queen's chambers, sprawled across an Ottoman chair, reading contemptuously when a sword sliced through the air and lodged itself into the stone wall. Angelina jumped and looked to Henry, Regina's father, alarmingly, but relaxed when she saw the Queen standing in the room, the thick sent of magic and billowing purple smoke that she had appeared in fading into the air. _

_The Queen was furious, that much was certain. Furious and triumphant at the same time. _

_"Would you like something to drink?" Henry asked politely, holding out a silver tray with a goblet of wine to the Queen. _

_"Do I look like I need a drink?" Regina snapped. _

_"I was only trying to help," Henry responded calmly, holding out the tray. _

_After less than a second's worth of deliberation, the Queen took the goblet. "Thank you." _

_"So," Angelina spoke. "How'd it go?" She was interrupted by the mirror. _

_"Now that was an awfully big threat. Destroy everyone's happiness. How do you plan on accomplishing that?" he directed his words at Regina. _

_"That well, huh?" Angelina answered her own question with a sigh, turning the page of the account of the history of the kingdom she read. _

_Regina looked back at Angelina with a roll of her eyes at the girl's witty nature. She then turned back to the mirror and smirked maliciously. "A dark curse," she answered. _

_Those words made Angelina slam her book shut in alarm. This couldn't be good..._

_"Are you sure your majesty?" Henry asked. _

_"But you said you'd never use it," the mirror protested. _

_"You made a deal when you gave away that curse," Henry added. _

_"You traded it away!" the mirror elaborated. _

_"She won't be happy to see you," Henry warned._

_Regina basked in the glory of uncertainty between the pair, but snapped at Henry's final statement. "Since when do I care about anyone's happiness but mine?" _

_Angelina could tell that that hurt Henry. It hurt Angelina for hurting Henry! But, what were they talking about? _

_"Prepare the carriage," Regina commanded._

_"What are you three arguing about?!" Lina intervened. "Where do you have to go and what is this dark curse?" _

_"I'm going to the forbidden fortress," Regina announced, not even sparing a glance at Angelina. She then strode out with purpose and determination. _

_"Thanks for the explanation..." Angelina sighed sarcastically, watching the Queen leave. _

_"She traded her curse in exchange for the Sleeping Curse with the Sorceress Maleficent," Henry explained as he stood at Angelina's side. _

_"Maleficent," Angelina echoed. "The same woman who put Princess Aurora...? she left the question hanging. _

_"Precisely," Henry nodded. _

_"What does Regina's curse do?" Angelina whispered fearfully. _

_Henry hesitated. "I am not sure. I don't think anyone knows aside from my daughter and the man that gave it to her." _

_Angelina turned to Henry and tilted her head to one side curiously. "And who gave it to her?" _

_"Rumpelstiltskin." _

_Angelina wasn't sure why a shiver ran down her spine at the name._

…

"Lina! Over here!" Henry called as soon as Lina entered Granny's . Henry and Emma had tucked themselves into the corner booth at the front of the establishment. With a smile, Lina took the seat next to Henry.

"Hey Henry. Emma," she greeted. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks," Emma nodded. But Lina could tell that Emma wasn't doing well at all. And Lina was willing to bet that Emma's misery had something to do with Regina.

"Hot black tea," Henry grinned while pushing a mug to Lina.

"Thanks," Lina replied with a grateful grin, taking a large sip. "So… Why did you call me here? What's going on?"

"Emma and I have a plan," Henry started.

"A plan for what?" Lina looked to Emma for help. Although she played it off with a coy smile, the look Emma wore on her face looked slightly strained.

"A plan to get everyone in Storybrooke to remember who they are," Henry replied as if it was obvious.

"You mean as fairytale characters?" Lina asked slowly. Henry nodded. "But, according to you, _I_ am a fairytale character. Why include me in this?"

"Because you're different," Henry replied. "Your story isn't in the book."

"How can you be so sure?" Lina retaliated, deciding to play along for the time being.

"I just know," Henry replied insistently with a shrug.

"Alright," Lina threw her hands up in surrender. "I trust you. Where's the book now? Can I see it?"

At this, Henry pressed his lips together and sighed. "Bad news. Mom knows."

"Knows what?" Lina responded, clueless as ever.

"She has the book."

"And that's a bad thing because...?"

Henry lowered his gaze hesitantly. Lina took another sip of her tea as she waited for Henry to respond.

"She's the Evil Queen."

Lina almost spit her drink all over Emma and had to cover her mouth to restrain from doing so. "What?!" she hissed with a dumbfounded expression.

"It's about time you knew," Henry shrugged.

Lina glanced at Emma after staring at Henry incredulously for a few moments. Emma had a steely look on her face that clearly stated she wasn't buying any of this. She was just going along with it.

"Hey, kid," Emma interrupted, directing her attention to Henry. "Shouldn't we be getting you to school?"

"Yes," Lina agreed, grateful for a subject change. "In fact, I need to get going too." The trio hurriedly left the diner.

"We need to come up with a name for our plan," Henry decided as they crossed the street.

"What plan? " Lina frowned. "I didn't know we have a plan."

"I'll fill you in," Henry reassured dismissively. "How about Operation Cobra?" he suggested.

"Operation Cobra?" Emma laughed. "That has nothing to do with fairy tales."

"Exactly!" Henry exclaimed. "No one will suspect it!"

"So what _is _your plan?" Lina pried.

"Short version," Henry started. "Keep these pages," he pulled out three, crumpled storybook pages from his pocket. "Away from mom."

"Why?" Lina scoffed, still baffled at how Henry believed Regina was the Evil Queen. "What happens if she finds them?"

"We lose all hope of breaking the curse," Henry stated solemnly.

"Good to know," Lina frowned, still not completely convinced. "Now, c'mon. We need to get to school."

…

_Angelina stood amidst some of the foulest creatures and people in the middle of darkest corner of the Enchanted Forest. A large fire blazed in the night at the center of the congregation. All those present gathered around the fire in anticipation of why the Queen called them there. Needless to say, she felt completely out of place. At least Henry stood at her side. The only thing that kept her connected with the rest of the group was the intricate box she held in her hands, concealing some unknown object that Regina needed to enact the curse. If all went well, the curse would be unleashed, and who knew what would happen then. _

_"Who among us is tired of losing?" Regina started, addressing everyone present. "That is why I called you here. To put an end to our misery." The Evil Queen tossed something into the fire that Angelina couldn't distinguish before it was ripped apart by the flames. "Today we claim victory and move to a new, better realm. A place where we can finally win." _

_"And we'll be happy?" an Old Hag spoke up with so much hope in her tone. _

_"I guarantee it," Regina smiled darkly. "But first, I need something from you." Everyone looked to her expectantly when she paused. "A lock of hair from those with the darkest souls." All present looked to each other uncertainly. There were only a handful of dark spells that required a lock of one's hair, none of them good. "You must trust me," Regina went on. "Because if you don't, there are other ways," she grinned deviously. Regina gestured her hand to the vines overlapping each other all around the group and they instantly flared to life, threatening to intertwine and bind all those present. Angelina shivered, but held her ground. _

_Instead of rebutting, everyone hastily began to cut locks of hair from their heads. _

_"A wise decision," Regina nodded approvingly as she went around to collect the hair in a palm sized basket. Angelina silently wondered if the Queen expected her to cut off a lock of her own hair. She didn't feel as if she had a dark soul. Her question was answered when Regina bypassed her with eyes that dissected Angelina's every move, as if trying to determine how comfortable she was with this whole situation. _

_"All that remains is the final ingredient," Regina announced, looking to Angelina as a signal to bring forth the box. "A prized heart from my childhood stead." Angelina had to restrain from gagging as Regina picked up the heart, tenderly and carefully. "A glorious beast whose passing will fuel our victory," the Queen spoke more to herself than anyone. "Let my wrath be unleashed!" She cried as she threw the heart into the fire. _

_The flames grew so high that Angelina flinched from the intensity. Blackish purple and green smoke billowed from the fire and threatened to consume everything in its path. Angelina couldn't remember being more scared in her entire life. The only thing that might have topped this was walking into Regina's stable to find her brother's lifeless form when she was only seven years old. _

_Then, as quickly as the curse manifested, it diminished. Regina stood there a bit dumbfounded and confused when a little gnome began laughing maniacally at the failed attempt. _

_"Yeah, you really unleashed something there," he giggled. Not in the mood for humor and games, The Evil Queen froze him in an instant. Angelina dared to look at her and saw more determination ferocity than ever before. The Queen was infuriated. Which is exactly was why Angelina slipped away into the forest before another word could be said. _

…_._

School had been a drag. Lina couldn't stop thinking about Henry's implication that Regina was the Evil Queen in his storybook. She supposed it made a bit of sense, but it also implied that the brief "dreams" she'd had weren't of just some made up Queen in Lina's imagination, but of Regina and herself...in another life...? Lina still wasn't sure about any of this. And, to top it all off, Lina had been forced to stay after school to take the Calculus test she'd missed the day before. Why did life have to be so complicated?

Lina strolled the few blocks to her mother's office. She was to meet Regina and Henry there so that they could go out to dinner as a family before escorting Henry to his therapy session, as was always the routine on Thursdays.

Deciding to enter the back way, Lina was flabbergasted to see her mom's apple tree strewn across the grass in the backyard. She stood there, looking at it oddly, before leaving to ascend the stairs to Regina's office. When she reached the top, she was met by Henry eavesdropping on a conversation that was taking place within Regina's office.

"Henry...what-" Lina whispered, but was quickly cut off by Henry making a slit throat gesture to shut up. She decided to listen along with him, and was a bit surprised to hear Emma inside, civilly discussing Henry with the mayor. It seemed to be going ok, until Emma spoke her next set of words.

"The poor kid can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality and it's only getting worse. It's crazy," she sighed.

Henry couldn't stay still anymore. "You think I'm crazy?" he asked in a hurt voice, emerging from behind the wall. Lina emerged as well, placing her hand on Henry's shoulder in comfort.

Emma looked guilty and shocked that her son had heard what she said. "Henry..." she spoke regretfully. She started towards him, but Henry quickly turned around and raced out of the building, clearly hurt and betrayed.

Lina looked to her mom to see a smugly triumphant look on her face. She had planned the encounter. Before racing after Henry, she flashed an incredulous and angry look at Regina. As she raced after her brother, Lina couldn't help but ponder that maybe Regina was evil after all...

…

_Angelina sat at the window ledge, staring distantly at the view her chambers overlooked. They had improved a considerable amount in the past year. Originally starting out in the dungeons, having her own wing was the most drastic improvement she could have ever thought of. A breeze blew at her hair as she sighed, thoughts drifting to Daniel as they often did. _

_She hadn't seen or heard from Regina since her failed attempt to enact the curse. And that had been many hours ago. Angelina assumed she wanted her space to figure out what went wrong. In many ways, Angelina felt bad for Regina. But in other ways, she still despised the woman with a passion. After all, she had killed Daniel. However, she had come to the conclusion that there was more to the story than Regina ever led on. _

_Angelina pulled at the simple chain she wore around her neck. It was a silver chain with a small bronze ring attached on it. The chain had been her mother's, the ring her brother's. It was nights like this that Angelina wallowed in self pity. Despondently, she realized that tomorrow was her eighteenth birthday. Had such time truly passed that she was already approaching the age of adulthood? As her mind churned, attempting to recall all the years she spent rage driven and determined for revenge on the Evil Queen for murdering her brother, she sighed when she realized it didn't matter. Nothing did anymore. Daniel was gone. Her parents were gone. The curse would surely be enacted soon enough. Nothing would ever be the same. _

_Gone were the days of her youth, where Daniel tried to teach her how to shoot a bow and arrow. Gone were the times he would sing her to sleep. Gone were the sweet tendrils of his presence. Gone were her innocence, her heart and her life. Angelina began to softly sing a lullaby that she distantly remembered Daniel singing to her to keep her mind off of the wallowing sorrow that threatened to spill from her heart. _

_"Dark the stars and dark the moon." _

_"Hush the night and the morning loon." _

_"Tell the horses and beat on your drum." _

_"Gone their master, gone their son."_

_Angelina ran her fingers over the ring and sighed before continuing. _

_"Dark the oceans, dark the sky." _

_"Hush the whales and the ocean tide." _

_"Tell the salt marsh and beat on your drum." _

_"Gone their master, gone their son." _

_"Dark to light and light to dark." _

_"Three black carriages, three white carts." _

_"What brings us together is what pulls us apart." _

_"Gone our brother, gone our heart."_

_By that point, Angelina couldn't hold it in any longer. Bitter tears streaked her cheeks as the cold air slapped at her face. She didn't know how long she sat there, wiping her eyes and trying to gain composure. But it felt like centuries. _

_"Did Daniel sing that song to you?" a voice spoke. _

_Startled, Angelina looked back at the door. There stood Regina, closing the door behind her as she slowly tread towards Angelina. _

_"Uh...yes," Angelina mumbled, wiping her cheeks clean of tears. She watched as Regina sat across from her on an elaborate, cushioned chair. "When I had nightmares, when I needed comfort, or just when I wanted to hear his voice," Angelina elaborated. She saw Regina watching her every move with a soft expression. "How did you know?" _

_"It must have made quite an impact on you if you remember it after all these years," Regina ignored Angelina's question. "But that's not why I'm here," she adopted a more authoritative tone and clenched her jaw when she realized how vulnerable she sounded. _

_"Then, why are you here?" _

_"I need you to do something for me," the Queen's chocolate brown eyes locked with Angelina's. _

_"Is this about the curse?" Angelina whispered almost fearfully._

_"In a sense," Regina agreed. _

_"You figured out how to unleash it?" Regina only nodded, a sorrowful gaze lingering beneath her features. Angelina released a breath and ran a finger over her brow. _

_"I will enact the curse tonight," Regina informed. "But, if you do as you're told, you won't be affected by it." _

_Angelina's ears perked. She wouldn't fall victim to the curse? "Why spare me?" she asked, astounded. _

_The corners of Regina's lips curled upwards into the hint of a smile. "You don't deserve to suffer." _

_Angelina couldn't believe her ears. Was she just hearing what she wanted to hear? "What does the curse do?" she swallowed. _

_"It will send all of those in its path to a distant world," Regina explained. "A world where there will be no happy endings. None but mine." _

_Angelina nodded slowly, digesting the information. "What do you need me to do?" _

_With a smile of satisfaction, Regina made a quick gesture with her hand to have a large scepter appear in her palm. The end of the scepter held a glass ball that illuminated from within. While Angelina inspected the intricate handle of the object, Regina offered it to her, holding out the scepter for Angelina to take. _

_"What is this?" she asked skeptically. _

_"When you see the curse coming," Regina instructed, "strike this upon the ground with as much force as you can. It will create a force field that will protect you along with anyone within a three mile radius of your location." _

_"So...I'll stay? I won't be subjected to the curse?" _

_Regina nodded in confirmation. _

_"What about your father?" _

_A pained look crossed Regina's face. "He won't be staying." _

_For some reason, Angelina thought that the Queen wasn't telling her something. But she shrugged it aside and focused on the matter at hand. _

_"And what will I do with what's left of the kingdom?" Angelina inquired. _

_The Queen smiled a genuine smile, something of which was rare. "Rule." _

_Angelina gasped. That couldn't be right. The Evil Queen was handing her the kingdom on a silver platter! "What's the catch?" Angelina narrowed her eyes. _

_"No catch," Regina assured. She hesitantly took Angelina's hand into her own, pleading with her eyes to take everything she said very seriously. "I may or may not ever be able to return, but if I do, just promise me that the kingdom won't be in ruins." _

_"I can guarantee it," Angelina smiled serenely, gazing into the Queen's eyes. Regina broke eye contact quickly, not wanting her last moments in her castle to be so intimate. Not before she was to unleash a curse with so much wrath, darkness and malicious effects. Regina stood uncomfortably, giving Angelina one last glance over, a foreign feeling filling gut. So this was goodbye. The girl she had allowed into her life was to stay behind and fulfill certain duties while Regina moved on to a happier existence. Somehow it didn't seem right. Regina turned to leave, clad in intimidating attire to gloat in the presence of Snow White before destroying her happiness. _

_"Your majesty," Angelina called out before the Queen could depart. A bit regretfully, Regina slowed to a halt and glanced at the girl from the corner of her eye. _

_"I truly hope you find your happiness," Angelina gave the Queen her blessing. _

_Regina was sure that in another time, another life, she would have rushed to Angelina and embraced her for even giving her a chance. For being supportive and choosing, against all odds, to stay with her in the dark, looming castle she called home. But the queen was well past all of that. There was no turning back. That sanction of Regina's heart had been crushed with the passing of time. Regina was incapable of love ever again. _

…

Dinner had been the most awkward sitting ever. Henry was still depressed of what Emma had said. And while Regina tried to comfort him, Lina knew the truth. Regina Mills had manipulated Emma into saying that Henry was crazy in Henry's presence. And, unbeknownst to Regina, the whole ordeal was only hurting Henry rather than pushing Emma away.

After dinner, Regina had taken Henry to his therapy session whilst Lina decided to go on a stroll until Henry's session was over. Then she would pick him up and take him home. Lina pensively stroked her silver chain with a bronze ring attached to it. It didn't make any sense. Why was Regina so threatened by Emma? Other than the fact that Miss Swan was Henry's birth mother, the woman didn't have anything on Regina. Regina still had custody of Henry, still had the power and control of the town, and still had Lina. But perhaps that wasn't enough...

When the time came to pick up Henry, Angelina made her way to Archie's office. As she neared the building, she was astounded yet relieved by what met her eyes. Emma and Henry were walking hand in hand, both smiling foolishly like children.

"I see you two made up," Lina couldn't help but smile along with them.

"It was a trick! What Emma said. So the Evil Queen would think we don't believe. It's brilliant!" Henry spoke all in one breath. Lina looked to Emma for confirmation. She winked and made a face that spoke _just go with it. _

"Nothing like a dose of deception," Lina smirked. "But, please, don't refer to Mom as the Evil Queen." _God I'm going to have a hard time getting used to that. _

"But she is the Evil Queen," Henry mumbled.

"I'm not saying she's not," Lina mused. "I just think you need to give me time to transition to….that."

Emma nodded her approval at Lina's words. _Don't crush his reality. _"C'mon guys," she put her arm around Henry. "We need to get you home."

"What a glorious idea," Lina grumbled mostly to herself. Emma heard, however, and she laughed whole heartedly, nudging Lina in the shoulder. Lina chuckled alongside her, feeling as though that with time, she and Emma could maybe learn to be friends.

…

_Angelina waited and waited for the curse. She could hear the distant roaring and billowing in the distance. From the window she could see it approaching. She clutched the scepter so tightly that her knuckles turned white and numb. All she had to do was strike the ground with it before the curse was upon her. Then she would be safe. Then she would rule. Rule. What an odd concept. Rule what? Whoever was saved in the aftermath of the curse? _

_"What is a girl like you doing in a place like this?" A woman's voice spoke from behind Angelina. She jumped and turned to face an older woman with chestnut brown hair gathered into a bun. As Angelina studied her, she saw that the woman adorned a black cloak with silver latches. _

_"And what are you doing with that?" the woman added, pointing at the scepter. _

_Angelina was at a loss for words. "Who are you?" she managed to say. _

_The woman smirked and began circling Angelina, making her feel very uncomfortable. "Many know me as a powerful sorceress. Others by the Queen of Hearts," she stopped directly in front of Angelina, face drawn close to hers. "You can call me Cora." _

_Cora. Cora. Where had Angelina heard that name before? _

_"What do you want?" she spoke instead. _

_"Not one for formalities are we?" Cora chuckled amusedly. "It's really quite simple," she mused. "I have a sudden inquisition to obtain that scepter," she said, eyeing the object Angelina held in her hand. _

_Angelina held onto it a bit tighter, protecting it from being wrenched from her grasp. "Well, I'm sorry to say you can't have it," she spat, not liking Cora's testiness. _

_"Aw," Cora cooed. "That's too bad. Because you really don't stand a chance protecting it." She held out her hand expectantly. "Give it to me now, and you won't have to face the consequences." _

_Angelina eyed Cora's gloved hand warily and debated whether to hand it over. Who was this woman and what did she plan to do with the scepter? Deciding to be a thorn in her side, Angelina took off in a dead sprint, departing her wing of the castle. _

_Cora sighed drearily after the young girl. "And I hoped it wouldn't come to this." _

_It didn't take long for Cora to catch up. One second, Angelina was running, the next, Cora appeared in front of her in a cloud of purple smoke. Something that Regina always did... _

_Without a second thought, Cora plunged her hand into Angelina's chest, took hold of her heart and squeezed, disarming her in an instant. Angelina shrieked as the searing pain inflamed her whole body and gasped when she couldn't breathe. She stared into Cora's eyes which were lighted with malicious glee at the pain she inflicted upon the young girl. Something about the way Cora looked at her reminded Angelina a lot of Regina. The eyes, the lips pursed upwards and the defined jaw line as it tensed in satisfaction. _

_However, as Cora stared at Angelina, something happened. Her face contorted in confusion, and her grip on the young girl's heart loosened slightly. Just when Angelina thought that the woman was about to withdraw her hand from her chest, Cora ripped the girl's heart out, leaving Lina gasping in pain. _

"_Curious…" Cora mused as she inspected the heart. "My dear," she addressed Angelina. "Might I inquire how old you are?"_

_Angelina stubbornly locked her jaw and gave the woman a hard glare that shined defiantly in her ice blue eyes. _

_Clearly agitated, Cora squeezed her heart with an angered sneer. "You will speak when spoken to, girl!" _

_Angelina couldn't help but drop the scepter through the pain. As soon as it hit the floor, Cora released her hold on Angelina's heart. _

"_Well?" she prodded impatiently. _

_Angelina gulped before answering. "Seventeen," she coughed, breathing heavily._

_Cora narrowed her eyes at the answer, her eyes briefly flashing to Angelina's heart. "And when is your birthday?" _

_Angelina hesitated before answering. "Tomorrow," she resigned wearily._

_Cora's eyes seemed to lighten at this news. "I see," she smiled so devilishly that it sent chills down Angelina's spine. _

"_Well, my dear," Cora smirked, shoving Angelina's heart into her chest so quickly and roughly that she doubled over in pain, falling to the floor against her will. "It seems as though that day will not come for a long time." She leaned over and retrieved the fallen scepter while Angelina watched miserably. She didn't have the strength to stop her. "You, see," Cora continued in such a sickeningly sweet voice that Angelina wanted so badly to punch her. "While the curse may take you to a distant land, time will freeze until a certain Savior returns." She grinned coyly and lunged forward to cup Angelina's chin with her palm. "And when that happens, well….. let's just say I'll be waiting…." _

_She shoved Angelina to the ground and grinned wickedly. "You will prove to be most helpful when the time comes… And for that reason I know we shall see each other again."_

_"Thank you for cooperating, dear," she said admiringly before vanishing in a cloud of smoke. _

_Angelina had no time to move or think before the fog and smoke of the curse engulfed her, sealing her fate and destiny as it did every other Storybook character in its path. _

_**A/N: So what did Cora have up her sleeve? I guess only time will tell…. This chapter goes along with Season 1 episode 2 "The Thing You Love Most." The song Angelina sings is a song from the movie "Snow White and the Huntsman" entitled "Gone" by Ioanna Gika. Although the previous author originally wanted to write a chapter for every episode, I doubt I will do that. I have some interesting stuff planned come season 2 so I would like to get to that ASAP. PLEASE REVIEW and let me know what you think, if you're confused on anything, or even if you want to critique. It would be much appreciated. I don't know when I'll update again since finals are around the corner, but I'll try my best to get a chapter up within the next few days. Thanks for reading! **_


	4. You're an exception

_Angelina pulled the arrow back taught and aimed at a self-made target hanging no more than a hundred feet away from her on a large tree trunk. Today was the day that marked her path to revenge. Today she would begin her training to assassinate the Queen. She would kill her if it was the last thing she did. Daniel was dead because of her. Angelina's parents had long departed from the multitude of wars the Queen had waged against other kingdoms. Her father had been drafted to fight; her mother had died of a broken heart. After the disappearance of her son, the death of her husband was too much for Angelina's mother to take. She had died, leaving Angelina in a cold world all by herself. Of course, she had also died without the knowledge that her son was also dead. _

_Angelina often wondered if her family was reunited in some distant realm. Mother, father, son, living together, watching over her as she carried on in misery and despair, driven by rage and determination. At times, Angelina hated her family for leaving her alone. What had she done to deserve this, living off the fat of the land in the Enchanted Forest, forcing herself to survive despite the overwhelming desire to cut her life short? It wasn't fair! And it was all the Evil Queen's fault. _

_With all this on her mind, Angelina took a deep breath before releasing the arrow. This was her first stab at archery. And that sole fact was reflected in the result of her release. The arrow did nothing more than drop directly to the ground no more than a few yards in front of her. Instantly frustrated, Angelina released a sharp breath and went to bend and pick up the sharpened arrow. How was she supposed to assassinate the queen with this weak skill set? _

_"Looks like I'm going to need a lot of work." _

**_…_**

"Where have you been?" Lina called from the living room as she read her copy of a required reading for school.

"With Emma," Henry responded as if it was obvious, plopping down on the couch beside Lina.

"Ah," Lina mused knowingly. "More Operation Cobra stuff?"

Henry nodded shortly, then gazed about the room. "Where's Mom?" he questioned.

"Who knows?" Lina shrugged carelessly, flipping to the next page in her book.

"Hey, thanks for getting the book back," Henry said, making Lina look up from the sentence she was reading.

"That wasn't me, squirt," Lina laughed. "Mom was the one who agreed to give it back."

"Yeah, but she wouldn't have given it back without your persuading," Henry shot back.

Lina looked at him oddly for a few seconds. First, Regina is the Evil Queen, and now she's incapable of doing good? "No problem, Henry," she finally accepted the gratitude. "Speaking of which," Lina continued, "When do you want to start reading me this book of fairytales that are supposedly true?"

"Whenever you're ready," Henry shrugged.

"How about now?" Lina suggested, placing a ribbon in her book to mark her place.

"Can't," Henry frowned regretfully. "It's with Mary Margaret."

"And just what in the world is she doing with it?" Lina narrowed her eyes, sensing Henry's scheming being involved.

"She's going to read it to the John Doe patient in the hospital. You know, the one in a coma?" Henry prompted.

"Oh yeah!" Lina remembered. "The one no one has claimed. But, why does Mary Margaret need to read to him? How did you convince her to?"

"Emma's working on that," Henry admitted. "But John Doe is Prince Charming."

"How can you be so sure?" Lina asked, baffled at Henry's certainty in the matter.

"I just know," Henry sighed. "You would too if you read the book."

"And who's fault is it that I haven't?" Lina retorted challengingly.

"Anyway," Henry continued in a borderline annoyed tone. "I'm meeting Emma and Miss Blanchard at Granny's tomorrow morning. She's going to give a report on how the reading went." Henry eyed Lina from the corner of his eye. "You should come," he decided in a tone that left no room for argument.

Why in the world would Emma agree to this? _She _didn't believe Henry's theory. So why encourage this well thought out figment of Henry's imagination? Maybe the meeting would turn into a reasoning session to prove to Henry that fairytales don't exist. That's what it had to be. When Mary Margaret showed up and said nothing had happened, they could all show Henry the impossibility of his theory.

"And I'm assuming mother isn't to know about this little gathering?" Lina mused aloud, already knowing the answer.

"She's the Evil Queen," Henry reminded. "Everything we do for Operation Cobra has to be a secret."

"Right," Lina sighed. She hated it when Henry referred to Regina as the Evil Queen. Yeah, she was strict, sometimes a bit brash, and many people in Storybrooke feared her, but Lina refused to think of her as pure evil. Not after all the woman had done for her…

Lina was about to turn down the offer, but stopped upon seeing the childlike gleam of hope and delight in Henry's eyes. She didn't feel it was right to deny him of a simple joy, considering how much he truly believed his life sucked.

"Alright," Lina agreed. "I'll go. But I don't know what you're expecting Mary Margaret to say happened."

"Something has to," Henry said with certainty. "Snow White and Prince Charming will always find each other."

Lina paused at the revelation. So that's who Henry thought Mary Margaret was. Snow White. And if Mary Margaret was Snow White, and Regina the Evil Queen, that might explain why Regina hated her so much...

But what was Lina thinking? This was all some made up scenario concocted in Henry's brain.

"Hey Lina," Henry started cautiously, drawing her out of her thoughts. "I need your help with something."

"You always need help," Lina rolled her eyes in feigned semi irritation. "But how can I be of assistance?" she put on an overly dramatized smile.

"You're a girl," Henry stated as if to confirm an internal justification to himself. "Do you think Emma and Mom wear the same shirt size?"

**_…_**

_Angelina crouched behind the trees and bushes as to not be seen. She watched as the Evil Queen's carriage approached, gripping onto her bow and arrows so tightly that is was amazing they didn't snap in two. It took everything within Angelina to not leap at the opportunity to kill. All the muscles, tendons and joints in her body fought vigorously against her will. She seethed and shook in anger. _

_"Today's not the day," she whispered calmly to herself. "You've just learned how to properly shoot a bow and arrow. There's no way you're ready to take on five armed guards AND the queen." The words were meant to soothe her, but they only made her feel more weak and vulnerable. _

_Angelina vaguely wondered what Daniel would do in this situation. But who was Angelina kidding? Daniel would NEVER even think to harm someone, no matter what they'd done or who they'd hurt. Daniel had been far too much of an angel. But not Angelina. Angelina had gone off the deep end, constantly descending deeper into the great abyss. _

_So, miraculously, Angelina restrained herself from launching an attack against the Queen's armed forces. She watched as the carriage disappeared behind the trees of the next turn, then stood and cautiously went back to hunting for food. _

_The day would come in due time. Angelina would get her vengeance. The Queen would die at her hands. Angelina had lost so much, been through so much. She would not rest until Queen Regina was dead. _

**_…_**

"Thanks for the shirt," Emma said as she returned to the booth she, Henry and Lina occupied at the diner. "Hey, is this your mother's?"

"She'll never notice," Lina and Henry responded in unison.

"It's not a problem," Lina reassured as she saw Emma's worried expression. "I made sure to take one that she hardly ever wears. Besides, you need it more than she does," Lina finished, surveying how the shirt fit on Emma. As expected, it fit like a glove. "And it looks good on you," she added, mentally giving herself a pat on the back for that one.

"Where does she think you guys are anyway?" Emma asked.

"Playing Wack-a-Mole," Henry pipped up. His answer was met by an odd silence.

"And she bought that?" Emma frowned, speaking exactly what was on Lina's mind.

"She wants to believe it, so she does," Henry explained.

"Oh, imagine that!" Emma laughed sarcastically.

"I thought I told you to make up a good excuse for leaving the house! I wouldn't be caught dead at the arcade!" Lina chastised.

"Like you could have come up with anything better!" Henry retorted. "What else could I have said?"

"Oh, believe me," Lina scoffed. "I could have thought of something much more reasonable than _wack-a-mole_."

"She's here!" Henry whispered fervently, ignoring Lina's comment as he watched Mary Margaret approach them.

"Hey, don't get your hopes up," Emma murmured softly to Henry in hopes of calming him down. "We're just getting started, ok?"

Lina, Henry and Emma waited patiently for Mary Margaret to take a seat beside Emma. They sat in silence as they waited in anticipation for her to say something. Lina sensed that something was wrong, as did everyone else. Miss Blanchard hesitated slightly before opening her mouth.

"He woke up," she said in a voice that sounded as surprised as everyone else felt. It took everything inside Lina to not gasp or choke on her water.

"What?" Emma snapped.

"I knew it," Henry smiled in triumph.

"He didn't _wake up_, wake up," Mary continued in a rush, "but he grabbed my hand."

"He's remembering!" Henry exclaimed.

"What did the doctor say?" Emma asked skeptically.

"That I imagined it, but I'm not crazy. I know it happened."

"We have to go back!" Henry urged. "You have to read to him again!"

Mary Margaret seemed to mull it over for a few brief seconds. Without a moment's hesitation, she gave a curt, enthusiastic nod and smiled. "Let's go!"

Henry and Mary Margaret leaped from the table and began to leave the diner, leaving Emma and Lina dumbfoundedly looking at each other.

Emma blinked rapidly in confusion. "Wait. Wait. What?" she called after them, hauling herself up. Lina followed suit, just as confused as Emma.

"If I got through to him, if we made a connection," Mary Margaret spoke as Emma stopped her.

"You don't believe-" Emma protested frantically.

"That he's Prince Charming? Of course not!" she reassured. "But, somehow, someway, I touched him!" And with that, Mary Margaret rushed out after Henry.

Emma stood beside Lina, staring after Miss Blanchard, still absorbing the aftermath of shock of the events that had played out. "Are we going to follow them out?" Lina sighed regretfully.

"Do we have a choice?" Emma mumbled. "C'mon."

It didn't take long to catch up with the two. And it really didn't take much time to arrive at the hospital, being that all were practically sprinting to get a glance at the supposed "Prince Charming."

_"We must look crazy," _Lina thought as they busted through the doors of the hospital. _"If only mother could see us now..." _

No one asked any questions as they ran, following Miss Blanchard to the back of the facility. They were met by a small crowd of doctors and Sherriff Graham. What was he doing here?

"You're right!" Henry exclaimed excitedly, running at the lead of the pack. Lina hurried after him to keep him out of the commotion. "He's waking up!"

Sherriff Graham stepped calmly in front of Henry's path, slowing him down. "Henry, Lina, you should stand back," he instructed.

"What's going on?" Mary Margaret asked worriedly, pushing through to the front of the crowd. "Is it John Doe? Is he ok?"

"He's...missing," Graham managed to get out. Emma, Mary Margret, Lina and Henry were at a loss of words. How in the world...? Graham then turned to face the doorway to the missing patient's room, revealing the one and only Regina Mills standing amidst the chaos of the room. Her angered, intimidating gaze was set on Emma, Henry, Mary Margret and Lina, but mostly Emma. Regina's defiant look only intimidated Lina into rubbing her temple and biting her lip.

"_Dammit," _she thought bitterly to herself. _"Busted." _

"What the hell are you doing here?" Regina snapped at Emma as she emerged from the room. She then turned her attention to Henry and Lina. "And you two," she lurched forward and pulled on both their arms forcefully. "I thought you were at the arcade," Regina looked more to Henry than Lina. "Now you're lying to me?!"

"Seems to be a new trend in this family," Lina sighed dramatically, though no one heard it apart from Regina. She had wanted to stop herself from saying it. She really had. But the words tumbled out as if they had a mind of their own. She regretted saying it as soon as Regina gave her a look full of steaming anger. Regina hid the emotion pretty well as she straightened her posture and tried to look unaffected by Lina's comment.

"What happened to John Doe?" Mary Margret questioned. "Did someone take him?"

"We don't know yet," Sheriff Graham admitted. "His IVs were ripped out but there's no sign for sure there's a struggle."

"What did you do?!" Henry accused, staring Regina in the eyes furiously.

Lina instantly responded to Henry's hostility by nudging him sharply. "Not now," she hissed in a low whisper.

Regina's expression contorted into hurt, betrayal and confusion. She eyed Lina for a brief moment before turning her attention back to Henry. "You think _I_ had something to do with this?"

"It _is _curious that the mayor is here," Emma pointed out before Henry could answer. Lina rolled her eyes. _Oh great. Why don't we make things worse Emma?! _

"I'm here because I'm his emergency contact," Regina answered defensively, voice rising.

"You know him?" Mary Margaret interjected.

"I found him on the side of the road years ago with no ID," Regina explained. "I brought him here."

"Mayor Mills saved his life," Doctor Whale said as he entered the conversation, clipboard in tow.

"Will he be ok?" Miss Blanchard appealed to Doctor Whale in worry.

"Ok?" Dr. Whale scoffed. "The man's been on feeding tubes for years under constant supervision. He needs to get back here right away or, quite honestly, ok might be a pipe trip." Lina watched as Mary Margret's usually rosy cheeks paled considerably.

"Well, then let's quit yappin' and start looking," Emma suggested as she began to depart the room.

"That's what we're doing," Regina stopped her in an annoyed tone. "Just stay out of this dear," she advised. "And since I clearly can't keep you away from my children," she continued with a darker edge to her voice, "I guess I'm just going to have to keep them away from you," Regina finished, grabbing Henry by the hand and guiding him away. "Come along Angelina," she commanded in a way that left no room for argument.

As the trio neared closer to the door, closer to Emma, Angelina watched as Regina leaned close to Henry's birth mother. "Enjoy my shirt," Regina spoke softly, but clear enough to hear. "Because that's all you're getting." Emma glared at Regina, eyes narrowed furiously. Regina only but smirked to her reaction with satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Henry and Lina shared a "caught red handed" look. _So much for never noticing. _

"We stand corrected," Lina murmured as she passed Emma. Despite the circumstances, Emma gave the girl a small grin.

Before Henry, Lina and Mayor Mills left the room, Regina made one final comment. "Sheriff, find John Doe. You heard Doctor Whale. Time is precious."

The ride home was the most excruciatingly painful thing Angelina had experienced in a while. The lack of conversation, the silence, was so evident that it consumed every inch of the car. Henry sat in the backseat and was, thankfully, smart enough to not bring out the book or speak. Regina's knuckles were white from clenching on to the steering wheel so tightly. Lina had resorted to twiddling her thumbs.

It was no surprise that when the car stopped in front of the Mills residence, Henry was the first to depart. Regina closed her eyes and sighed harrowingly. After a moment's hesitation, Lina followed Henry, sending a withering look in Regina's direction.

Lina heard her mother fall in step behind her as she walked up the concrete pathway leading to the house. The clicking of her heels grew closer and closer, oddly making Lina's anxiety level rise. There was something about the way Regina walked that struck a vague sense of fear into Lina's heart. She could almost hear the woman's emotions surface with each strike her heels made onto the pavement, regardless of if the emotions were positive or negative.

Lina swept through the entry and began to make her way upstairs to her room. If Lina knew Henry at all, it was only a matter of time before the kid snuck out once again. And Lina was planning on joining him. Not that Lina wanted to deliberately disobey Regina. She just felt that the only way to ensure his safety was by being in his presence at all times. Good thing Henry didn't think poorly of Lina as he did Regina.

Lina was halfway up the staircase when her mother called to her.

"Angelina, can I talk to you for a minute?" Regina asked, shedding her coat and hanging it on the coat rack.

Lina paused and glanced over her shoulder at Regina. "Something tells me I don't have a choice," she sighed, trudging her way back down to her mom's level.

"No, you don't," Regina agreed bluntly. She then gestured for Lina to follow her into the living room area, as to not have this conversation in a place where Henry could easily eavesdrop.

"Now," Regina started, taking a seat on the couch. "I need you to be honest with me."

"That might be hard," Lina replied sarcastically before she could stop herself, taking a seat in the chair opposite of Regina. "Since I haven't been very open with you lately."

"This is precisely why I need to speak with you, dear," Regina sighed grudgingly, pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger as she closed her eyes to clear her thoughts. Lina decided to keep her mouth shut and wait for her to continue.

"Is there something I should know about?" Regina stated simply, staring into Lina's soul with a penetrating gaze.

"No," Lina shrugged with a frown.

"Have I done something wrong?" Regina pressed, leaning onto her knees with her elbows, arms crossed. "Something that's turned you and your brother away from me? Because Henry has come to believe that I'm some Evil character in his book."

"The Evil Queen, I know," Lina rolled her eyes. "Just like Archie is Jiminy Cricket, Mary Margaret is Snow White, the John Doe patient is Prince Charming, etc ,etc. And I know what you're going to say," Lina stopped Regina as she opened her mouth to speak. "I shouldn't be encouraging him, but what am I supposed to do? Look him in the eye and say you're wrong? You're insane? Believe me I've tried to talk some sense into him, but the kid's got this fairytale thing drilled into his mind. I can't tell him what and what not to believe."

"And you don't believe it?" Regina narrowed her eyes with an underlying glint of dismay.

"Me?" Lina scoffed. "Of course not!"

"So, you haven't been feeding him these ideas?" Regina continued skeptically.

"What?!" Lina shrieked. "Is that what this conversation is about? You think that _I'm_ telling him that you're the Evil Queen? That this town is under a curse and no one can remember who they are?"

"It's just so outlandish that surely someone had to-" Regina protested.

"Oh, get real, mom!" Lina spat. "Why would I go and paint a picture of you as the bad guy? Obviously, your relationship with Henry isn't the best right now, so why would you assume that I would try to damage it even more? Do you think that poorly of me?"

"No!" Regina snapped in irritated. "Of course not, Lina. I'm just trying to understand where this madness came from!"

Lina sighed upon realizing that she had flustered her mother. "Believe me...I am too..."

A small silence pursued.

"I'm sorry," Lina apologized, biting her lip in guilt.

"I'm sorry too," Regina admitted. "I didn't mean to imply anything."

"It's ok," Lina reassured. "It was only a logical conclusion." It was at times like these that Lina really did love Regina. Regina could appear as cold hearted to anyone who didn't know her. But there was something more beneath the hollow, tough exterior she always held up. Something real and human.

"You know," Lina smiled lightly, "There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not grateful for everything you've done for me."

Regina, whose eyes had drifted about the room lazily, snapped to give full attention to Lina. Her expression softened as she watched the girl shyly stare at the floor as she continued to speak.

"And what I said in the kitchen the other day, when Henry was gone," Lina paused and met Regina's dark, enticing eyes. "You didn't deserve that," she concluded. "I apologize for my behavior. Nothing I ever say or do is to intentionally hurt you. And just to make things clear, I haven't turned away from you."

Regina had nothing to say to that. She couldn't remember the last time Angelina had been so overly gentle and kind, handling Regina's emotions like glass. _I truly hope you find your happiness. _Regina shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"I know," she found herself speaking softly. "I accept your apology." Lina grinned slightly. Regina leaned over to place her hand on Angelina's knee in a loving gesture, responding with her own sincere smile. There was something so intriguing, enticing and intense about this woman. Lina supposed that it was the reason she lived with her, related to her and called her 'mom.'

"Well," Regina broke the silence, removing her hand from Lina's knee, "I have to go."

"Mayor-ly business to attend to?" Lina chuckled, mirroring Regina by standing up.

"Something like that," Regina answered with her own short laugh. She took a few steps closer to Lina and cupped her chin with her palm. "I trust you'll take care of Henry until I'm back," she said, searching Lina's crystal blue eyes for any sign of the Angelina she once knew. The one who had hated her with a passion. The one who had, in the end, given her approval of the curse, a miracle within itself.

"You can count on it," Lina confirmed.

Regina smiled her thanks, brushing a strand of hair away from Lina's face, then took her leave. Lina stood glued to the spot until she heard the front door open and close. After replaying the conversation that had just taken place a few times, Lina took a deep breath and left the room.

"Henry?!" she called loudly, holding her forehead with her hand while resting her other hand on her hips. "Henry, come down! Mom's gone!" No response. "Henry?" Lina called again, loosing some of the edge to her voice. She quickly swept up the stairs and approached Henry's door.

"Henry?" Lina asked softly, gently easing the door open. She was met with an empty room. An empty room with the back window thrown wide open.

"Dammit," Lina grumbled, poking her head out the window in hopes of seeing Henry climbing down. No such luck.

"At least give it a while before you leave!" Lina cried to no one but herself, exasperated. "What if mom would've come looking for you? Good lord..."

It was only a matter of seconds before Lina had descended the stairs, pulled on a coat and run out the front door, jogging to the hospital in hopes of finding Henry there.

But, as Lina had expected while approaching the hospital, Henry wasn't there. Nor was Emma, Mary Margaret or Sheriff Graham. Which meant that Henry was probably with them searching for John Doe... Perfect!

Completely giving up on having any influence whatsoever in Henry's decision making, Lina left the hospital and decided to take a stroll under the setting sun. She was confident that by the end of the night, everyone would return to the hospital with either good or bad news. Lina hoped it would be good news regarding John Doe, but in this town...who knew?

Lina had a vague sense of awareness of where her feet carried her. Quite frankly, she didn't care. She needed time alone anyway. As she walked, she tried to remember the dream she'd had the night previous. It had been one of those dreams that, while experiencing it, she'd known it was important, but instantly upon waking up, it had disappeared into the locked file cabinets of her brain. It was just frustrating.

Lina played with the silver chain she wore around her neck. The copper hued ring attached dangled lazily as he twirled the chain around her fingers idly. She couldn't remember where the trinket had come from. She had always had it. Always wore it around her neck. She even remembered the time Regina had asked her about it. Lina hadn't had a response to how or when she'd acquired it. The necklace had just always...been there.

Lina milled about Storybrooke until it was dark outside, doing what she did best. Blending in. Unnoticeable. Unrecognizable. A chameleon. When she decided it was about time to mosey on back to the hospital, she was only a block from its location.

Thankfully, when she entered the hospital this time, Henry, Mary Margret, and Emma had all returned...with the John Doe patient...with a _wide awake _John Doe patient.

"Oh my god," Lina breathed. "What happened?"

"Lina!" Henry exclaimed happily, gesturing for her to come sit in the chair next to the one he occupied. "Where have you been?" he continued.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Lina scoffed. "Where have _you _been. _You're _the one who snuck out."

"You don't seem too worried about me though," Henry pointed out.

"I knew you were in good hands," Lina responded with a shrug, sending a smile to Emma. "So... what happened?" she asked Henry.

Henry hesitantly leaned closer to Lina and whispered, "John Doe had wandered off into the forest. When we found him he was unconscious. And then Mary Margret woke him up with a kiss."

"A kiss?" Lina raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure it wasn't just mouth to mouth?"

"I'm sure," Henry responded with a mischievous grin.

"Has he said anything, or explained who he is?" Lina continued.

"He can't remember," Mary Margaret interjected sullenly, still watching the patient through the glass windows.

"Can't remember...anything? Not even his name?"

Henry shook his head. "But we already know who he is," he added as an afterthought.

"Right," Lina said through gritted teeth. "Prince Charming." Lina looked around at the lack of action then patted Henry on the shoulder. "Mission accomplished Henry. He's awake. He's safe. He's alive. But I won't be able to say the same for us unless we get home pronto."

"Yeah," Henry sighed tiredly. "Ok."

Lina and Henry were about to stand, say their goodbyes and depart when a blonde woman, tall, fairly striking and flustered, entered the room.

"David?" she called as she approached the glass windows hesitantly. "David!" she cried in relief. "David!" The woman rushed into the hospital room and embraced the man lying down in the hospital bed in relief and happiness.

"Well, guess his name's David," Lina stated bluntly.

"Who _is _that?" Mary Margaret asked, dumbfounded at what was unfolding before her eyes.

Before anyone else could respond, another voice spoke, entering the room from the shadows of the hospital.

"His wife," she spoke. While everyone jumped at the voice, Lina closed her eyes in dismay, wanting to scream at the top of her lungs. _Regina. _Lina looked to Henry and saw that he was calm, not at all worried about her presence. How could Henry not realize how much trouble they were in?

"His name is David Nolan," Regina continued, entering the full light of the room. "And that's his wife, Katherine. The joy on her face, well," she paused. "It's put me in quite the forgiving mood." Regina turned her attention to her children and Lina winced under her penetrating glare.

"We'll talk about your insubordination later," she said. "Do you know what insubordination means?" Regina asked them in a voice that belittled their intelligence. Henry shook his head indifferently.

Lina rolled her eyes. _"Yeah, it means we're screwed," _she grimaced.

"It means you two are grounded," Regina confirmed.

With a huff, Lina turned her attention away from the scene unfolding as Katherine entered the room, expressing her gratitude to Mary Margaret and Emma for saving her beloved. She ignored everything around her, every voice, movement and person. Suddenly and uncharacteristically, the only thing she acknowledged was the burning rage building within her, directed toward the very woman who had taken her in and raised her.

She hated Regina. She hated her scheming, scrutinizing and combative wittiness. She hated the way her words belittled one into thinking they were nothing but specks of dirt. Lina's body tensed and her nails dug into the wood of her chair's arms as her vision glazed over.

_Angelina sharped the arrowhead with the blade of her knife. Her hands were cut and scabbed over from the harshness of the new lifestyle she'd adopted in the wilderness. But Angelina didn't mind. There was a greater purpose to the hardships she endured. The death of the Evil Queen. _

_She'd been stocking up for the past few weeks, effectively molding each stone she found into lethal, sharp weapons. She'd even found a discarded set of arrows and a bow not any more than a few days ago. But she had made a promise to herself to save the luxurious set of arrows for the Queen. For when she raided the Queen's fortress. She wouldn't use Daniel's set of arrows to have a more ironic, symbolic message, but those arrows were dulling down, not as accurate nor as effective. _

_Angelina had improved vastly in the target sessions she'd created for herself. She had gotten to the point where she could hunt for food. A few months ago, it wouldn't have even been possible for her to shoot an arrow. But Angelina's heart had hardened. She'd had enough. _

_The time was growing near... find her... kill her... revenge... death... redemption... despair... triumph... disaster… _

Henry noticed that something was wrong with Lina the moment she'd undergone a strange trance- like state. He'd wanted to shake her out of it, or ask her what was wrong, but at the same time, he didn't want to draw attention to the problem. Regina had also noticed Lina's odd submissiveness from afar. She watched Angelina curiously, knowing that something was wrong.

"His first instinct was to go find something, I guess," Dr. Whale was saying when Lina blinked and snapped out of her daze.

"Someone," Henry corrected, turning his attention away from Lina, implying that that _someone_ was Mary Margaret. Lina nudged him to silence his input. A small, awkward silence pursued.

"Henry, Lina, let's go," Regina commanded. Lina didn't have to be told twice. Still a tad woozy, confused and disoriented from her small doze off, Lina brushed past Regina, avoiding eye contact with anyone, and exited the building as swiftly as possible.

When Lina reached the car, she found it to be locked. With a groan, she began pacing about it hastily. What _was _that? Oh, right...it was her dream from the night before. What did it mean? As Lina mulled it over silently, she waited for her mom and Henry to arrive. It took a few minutes for Henry to show up, but Regina wasn't with him.

"Where's mom?" Lina asked as he stopped at the car.

"Talking to Emma," Henry shrugged.

"Bet that's going well," Lina grumbled. "And what took you so long?"

"I was talking to Miss Blanchard."

"About?"

"She can't believe what's going on in there. She _is _Snow White. David loves her. Not Katherine," Henry explained. There was a pause as brother and sister both leaned against the car, waiting for Regina to show.

"What was going on with you back there?" Henry questioned.

"Hm?" Lina responded, acting like she hadn't heard him.

"What happened to you in the hospital?" Henry repeated.

"Nothing," Lina shrugged.

"I'm not stupid," Henry whined. "You completely zoned out. Why?"

"I was just...thinking about a dream I had last night," Lina shrugged. And that wasn't a lie...technically.

"A dream?" Henry's ears perked. "What kind of dream? What happened?"

"Oh I don't know," Lina brushed it aside. "I was...sharpening an arrow and...It was just a dream I had last night, Henry. No big deal."

"Arrows? Like bow and arrows?" Henry asked, getting a little too excited for Lina's liking. She nodded. "Was there a forest in your dreams?" he continued.

"Now that you mention it," Lina thought inquisitively. "Yeah, there was."

"Have you had more than one?"

"Everyone has more than one dream when they're sleeping, Henry," Lina replied uneasily. Where was he going with this?

"You're remembering!" Henry exclaimed happily.

"Woah! Remembering what?" Lina jumped at his sudden outburst.

"Your fairytale life!" Henry laughed happily. "This is amazing! Do you remember any of your other dreams?"

"Henry, calm down!" Lina instructed. But she couldn't stop him. He was gushing, knowing that all his accusations and theories were 100% correct.

"You're breaking the rules of the curse! You're remembering! You're an exception!" Words tumbled out of Henry's mouth.

"An exception to what?" Regina interrupted, eyebrows raised in a questioning arch at her two children.

"Nothing," Lina responded, perhaps a bit too quickly. She gave Henry a warning look, as if he would start talking in the presence of the _Evil Queen._ Something inside Lina stirred at that thought. Regina gave Lina a look that clearly said she didn't believe them, which is why Lina avoided her gaze at all costs, focusing on Henry and his backpack.

"Let's just...go home," Lina suggested, opening the car door and quickly seating herself in the passenger's seat. It was going to be a _long _ride home.

**_A/N: Thank you to those that have taken an interest in the story. This chapter goes along with episode 1x03, so a lot of the dialogue is taken directly from the episode. Let me know what you thought! Until next time! _**


	5. That is why I want you

**_Author's Note: Thank you for the follows, favorites and reviews! I appreciate every single one! My favorite scenes are the Evil Queen/ Angelina scenes, so this chapter is focused on that. This update has references to episode 1x04 The Price of Gold, so if you're ever confused, refer back to that. Reviews fuel me to post so please let me know what you like, don't like, etc. Until next time!_**

_A__ngelina stared at her reflection in the mirror, unable to recognize the girl staring back at her. As the Evil Queen Regina had promised, Angelina had been given her own wing of the castle, including a library of books, her own chambers, own bathing facility as well as her own regal wardrobe. Tonight, the queen had requested her presence for dinner, meaning that Angelina was required to dress for the occasion. A palace servant had suggested a velvet royal blue dress with a round neckline that draped elegantly around the waist and hips. There were embellishments adorning the abdominal area of the dress, and the shoes were far less uncomfortable than they looked. _

_Although Angelina did look beautiful, an obvious step up from the rags she had worn the majority of her life, she also felt ridiculous and out of place. This was probably the queen's form of entertainment, dressing up a scullery rat in the finest materials and riches all around. She would laugh as soon as Angelina entered the dining hall. _

_That's what the dominant part of Angelina was telling her. It also urged her to remain where she was, refuse to arrive at the dinner table and be as stubborn as possible, despite the consequences. However, there was a sliver of her that probed within the confines of her emotional excuse of a heart. That sliver encouraged Angelina to leap at the chance to get to know the cold, heartless woman who ruled the kingdom. To pinpoint the methods behind her madness and discover where her rage lied. To dig up the bones of her past and try to uncover the small portion of the humanity that Angelina had seen in Regina's eyes in the dungeon a few weeks ago._

_Remarkably, the small sliver of Angelina's heart won out the rest. So, when an escort entered her room, instructing her to follow, Angelina merely but nodded and obeyed the command. One thing was for sure; this was going to be an interesting night. _

…

"I know you think otherwise," Regina spoke from the entry hall as she applied a plum shade of lipstick to her lips. "But I don't enjoy these Saturday City Council meetings. Sometimes they're just unavoidable."

Lina didn't look up from her book when Regina entered the room. In fact, she didn't even hear the clicking of her heels as they echoed off the walls. Lina was drowsy and tired. She had tossed and turned all night. Nightmares of a strange sort had kept her up most hours of the night. She had not discussed them with anyone, especially avoiding Henry's inquisitiveness. If she were to speak the dreams aloud, Henry would only accuse her of remembering her fairytale life.

"Now, you know the rules," Regina stated sternly, directing most of her attention to Henry.

Henry placed the comic book he read down onto the table like a businessman diverting his attention from his newspaper to a client. "Yes on homework, no on TV and stay inside," he listed like he'd been told many times before. "Right Lina?"

Although Lina didn't hear him, she knew that she was being addressed due to the brief silence that followed. She looked up hastily from the paragraph she'd read over and over again and still hadn't digested yet. "Right," she swallowed, hoping that that made sense.

"Good boy," Regina smiled admiringly at her son. She cupped his chin lovingly with a genuine smile. "Under no circumstance do you two leave this house," she instructed.

"You mean don't see my mom," Henry rebutted harshly. Regina backed away as if the words had physically punched her in the face. Lina instantly kicked Henry from underneath the table to silence him from saying anything more. He winced but didn't open his mouth again. Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut?

"She's not your mother," Regina sneered defensively. "She's just a woman passing through. Now do what I say or there will be consequences," she warned as she turned her back on her children and made a headway for the door.

"I'll be back at five sharp," Regina called over her shoulder before the door closed behind her.

It took all of a few seconds for Henry to jump up and gather his belongings. "You coming?" he asked.

"Where?" Lina narrowed her eyes curiously.

"To see Emma," he pointed out as if it was obvious.

Lina repressed a groan and set down her book. "I don't think I'll join in on this Operation Cobra business today, squirt."

"Why?" Henry asked, curiosity and hurt combined in his voice.

"I'm not feeling too good," Lina admitted quickly.

Henry absorbed that answer and did a quick evaluation of Lina. "You really don't look to good," he offered in agreeance.

"Gee, thanks," Lina laughed sarcastically. "I don't care if you hang out with Emma," she added truthfully. "But you need to watch what you say to Mom. Being defiant will only make her more strict on the both of us."

"But she's-"

"The Evil Queen, I know," Lina groaned. "But she's the woman that raised you for ten years. So please, show a little respect. Understood?"

Henry looked as if he was going to argue, but to Lina's surprise, he nodded resolutely in compliance. "I'll try."

"That's all I ask," Lina smiled, clapping Henry's shoulder. "Ok," she sighed. "You can go." Instantly, Henry leaped up and bounded for the door. "Be careful and be home before five!" Lina yelled after him as he burst out the door. She wasn't sure if he had heard or not, or even cared for that matter, but Lina was content to have the house to herself for the day. She needed a day to herself. And first on the agenda was sleep.

…

_"I must say," the Queen spoke from across the table, taking a small sip of the wine her servants had continuously provided for her throughout the whole duration of the meal. "I'm quite surprised at your placidity this evening." _

_Angelina had sensed the queen watching her every move all throughout the sitting. In many ways, Angelina was uneasy because of this, never meeting the queen's eye, making an overly large effort to divert her attention to anything but the woman sitting across from her. _

_"Is the silence unnerving to you, my queen?" Angelina asked in a sardonic, mocking tone, meeting Regina's gaze for the first time that night. _

_"Not at all," she replied with equal combativeness. "However, I am quite disappointed that you've yet to try the apple tart." The queen smiled vexingly as she witnessed Angelina's face drain to a pale white. _

_"With all due respect, your majesty," Angelina adopted a stern look. "Given my recent encounter with the fruit, I'd rather not savor one." _

_"I assumed as much," the queen leered. "Yet, you must have had a certain liking for apples before you tasted mine. The way you climbed that tree to reach it was reminiscent of a child." The Evil Queen stared at Angelina with a curious gleam in her eye. "Did your family-?"_

_"I see what you're trying to do here," Angelina cut her off, not willing to discuss the family that the queen herself had callously destroyed. "Regretfully, I am not one to discuss my upbringing or my personal life," Angelina's words dripped with sarcasm. _

_The Queen gave no indication offense of being shut out by Angelina. If anything, her unwillingness to speak only drew Regina to the girl even more. "It seems as though we have something in common," Regina stated, tracing the outer rims of her plate of food that had hardly been touched. _

_Angelina's ears perked at this statement. So the queen didn't like to discuss personal information as well. It made sense. But the idea of sharing a common characteristic with someone as malicious and devious as the Evil Queen was enough to make Angelina's stomach churn. _

_"Hopefully the only thing we have in common," she groused. Whether or not the queen had heard Angelina's comment was never addressed, for Queen Regina continued to badger the girl with more questions. _

_"Tell me, Angelina. Have you any friends? Companions?" _

_Angelina rolled her eyes in annoyance before responding. "You mean is there anyone else that I've recruited in my plot for vengeance?" Angelina chuckled darkly. "If my bow and arrows count, then yes." The queen gave her an odd look, something on the verge of tribulation and perplexion. "I've lived a rather solitary existence," Angelina explained in retribution. _

_The queen breathed deeply, and Angelina could have sworn that she heard her whisper something beneath her breath._

_"If we're going to indulge in conversation," Angelina drawled in a tone vaguely similar to the queen's, "It would only be fair for me to ask a few questions of my own..." She met the queen's eye innocently. _

_Regina paused momentarily before shrugging. "I don't see why not," she agreed. _

_"Excellent," Angelina smiled thinly. "Do you have parents?" _

_"Of course I do," the queen scoffed. "Everyone does, dear. Or have you not been taught-" _

_"Not what I meant," Angelina snapped. "Are they alive? Do they live here with you?" The queen gave no indication of answering. Angelina exhaled softly in frustration. "If we're going to hold a conversation, we might as well let our guards down and talk. I'm willing to if you are." _

_Queen Regina regarded Angelina warily for a brief moment while the girl waited expectantly for her to speak._

_"My father lives here, in the castle," the queen finally gave in. "And my mother...does not." Regina took a large sip of her wine. Angelina thought about digging deeper than that, for there was a bitter edge to the queen's voice when she spoke of her mother, but she figured it would be too invasive. _

_"I believe it is my turn," the queen said, shaking Angelina out of her thoughts. _

_"So it is," Angelina responded with a small smile. "What would you like to know?" Perhaps the night wouldn't turn out so terrible after all. _

…

4:55.

Lina paced about the house, nervous as hell. Her nap had been fairly beneficial, but where was Henry? What if he wasn't home in time? What would she do to cover? Lina ran her fingers through her hair and released a breath as she went to the window to look for any sign of Henry and Emma or Regina. None. Lina waited for what seemed like hours, when in reality it was only a few minutes.

4:59

The door burst open. At this point, Lina was on the verge of an anxiety attack. Therefore, when the door opened unexpectedly, Angelina jumped and expected the worst.

"Lina?!" a boy's voice called.

"Oh my god," Lina exhaled in relief, rushing to meet the voice at the entry. "Henry!" Sight of her brother and his backpack confirmed the assumption.

"Are you kidding me right now?!" she hissed semi- angrily. "You cut it way too close, squirt."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry!" Henry apologized, holding his hands up in a surrender.

"Sorry's not gonna cut it! Mom's gonna be home any minute!" Lina snapped. She opened her mouth to continue, then paused as she heard clicking outside of the now shut door. Clicking in time of steps. The clicking of heels. Lina knew that sound anywhere. Regina. "Or now," she squeaked. Coming to her senses, she shooed Henry away.

"Go! Go! Get upstairs!" she urged. Henry instantly complied, sweeping up the stairs in a hurry. "Act like you've been reading or something! Dammit, you dropped your shoe!" Lina called after him. But it didn't matter. Henry didn't pick it up, for the front doorknob was beginning to click and turn open.

"Crap..." Lina grumbled as she ran as fast as her feel could carry her to the kitchen. Her main goal: make it look like she'd been doing something besides fretting over Henry. She quickly pulled out leftover lasagna from the night previous and shoved it into the oven. Swiftly setting the dial to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, she jumped back from the appliance just in time for Regina to peek into the room.

She studied Angelina for a few brief moments, then asked, "Where's Henry?"

"Nice to see you too, Mom," Angelina answered coolly. However, Regina looked in no mood to be playing games. "Upstairs reading," Lina sighed. Regina nodded slowly, calculatingly, as if measuring how plausible the answer was before leaving. Once the woman left, Lina released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

"_From now on_," she promised herself. "_I'm going to go with Henry whenever he sneaks out. If he continues to leave solo, it would only a matter of time until Mom found out. He needs my backup_."

And that's what Lina continually reminded herself the rest of the evening. No one deserved to be alone in matters such as this. Operation Cobra or not, Henry was her brother. It was Lina's job to protect him and be there for him when need be.

…

_"How did you learn to shoot a bow and arrow?" _

_"Like anything else...practice." _

_"Did you have an instructor?" the queen relentlessly pursued. _

_"Uhh.." Angelina trailed off into her own train of thought. "Not really. When I was a child, Daniel..." her throat closed and she found herself unable to continue. The Queen's interest increased upon hearing the mention of Daniel's name. Angelina gave no indication of continuing. _

_"Go on..." Regina urged gently with a soft expression. _

_Angelina sighed and bit her lip in contemplation. "There are some things that aren't worth mentioning your majesty," she whispered audibly. An uncomfortable silence settled over the two. Angelina's eyes stung with tears threatening to spill while Regina stared off into space, consumed with thoughts of a tragic love story in her mind. _

_"How close were you...with Daniel?" the queen broke the silence a bit dreadfully. _

_Angelina looked to the woman in surprise. She had the same expression across her flawless features that she had expressed in the dungeon weeks prior to this night. The queen was expressing sorrow. She regretted Daniel's death...but why? _

_"I'll only answer that if you answer something for me," Angelina sighed, regaining her composure. Regina only but waited patiently for Angelina to carry forward. _

_"Why did you kill him?" Angelina asked in the steadiest voice she could muster. _

_Regina flinched at the directness of the question. Why was this girl so certain that_ **she** _was the one who killed Daniel? The queen's jaw tightened and her eyes flickered with a whirlwind of emotions occurring all at once. She huffed uncomfortably at the accusation and released a small smile. _

_"Perhaps there_ **are** _some things better off not mentioned," she admitted in a small voice not suitable for a queen. _

_Even though Angelina felt an odd sense of pity for the woman, the more dominant part of her was furious, frustrated and exasperated that the queen always seemed to avoid justifying the murder of Daniel. Why wouldn't she just tell Angelina? At this point, a heartless, "I never loved him," would be more satisfying than the uncertainty. However, Angelina doubted that was the case. There was too much compassion and sorrow in the queen's eyes for that to be possible. _

_"I hope you know this doesn't change anything," Angelina spoke in a cold tone. _

_"Pardon?" Regina's vulnerability vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. _

_"Dining with you," Angelina went on to explain, tracing the rim of her wine goblet with her fingertips. "Civilly sharing a meal. Courtesy won't make me hate you any less." _

_The Queen laughed in such a way that disarmed Angelina of her coy demeanor. "Who said that this was a courteous gesture?" _

_Confused and taken aback, Angelina narrowed her eyes at the Evil Queen. What was she playing at? Why had she called for this arranged meal? Had the food been poisoned or drugged? No...Angelina had been sure to check with each bite taken. Then what...? _

_Suddenly, it hit her faster than the strike of lightening. _

_"Don't tell me now that this whole thing was a test!" she growled through a clenched jaw._

_"Of course it was, dear," Regina flashed her pearly white teeth in a condescending smile. "Surely you figured that out."_

_"Why?!" Angelina barked. _

_"I had to see if I could trust you," the queen responded as if it was the most obvious answer in the world._

_It was then that Angelina noticed all the armory and weaponry dawning the room. Albeit, it was a part of the decor of the dining area, but the presence of all the different items that Angelina could have used against the queen suddenly became overwhelming and oppressive. Her head throbbed and her heart pounded. There were no knights or guards anywhere in sight. Only servants. It had all been laid out for her to succeed if she'd taken the bait. Why hadn't she noticed this earlier?! In pure anger and bewilderment, Angelina slammed her fork into the table and used all of her strength to pulverize it against the table. She shook as her muscles strained. She felt the fork's form bend and compress beneath her palm, and didn't stop until the utensil snapped in half upon the table with a loud, abrupt thud. Angelina gasped and blinked stupidly for a brief moment, shocked at what she'd just done._

_"Now, now, dear," the queen crooned mockingly, though her eyes spoke differently. "That was silver." The queen's brows furrowed as her eyes flickered to the silver fork. How was it that she was able to break it? Surely the girl couldn't be that strong._

_However, Angelina's glowering at the woman, giving her a look that could kill, broke all train of thought spinning in the Queen's mind. _

_"Now you listen, and you listen well," the girl snarled, leaning into the table as her hands gripped the ledge. The queen cocked her head inquisitively at Angelina's sudden change of heart. "Do not take this night as a way of things to come. You can __**never**__ trust me. If the opportunity arises to betray you, I will. If I'm ever given the change to kill you, I'll take it. You made a big mistake allowing me into this castle. I __**will **__have my vengeance."_

_Regina regarded the girl for a few moments, pursing her lips and arching her eyebrow in a daring manner. At last, after a tense pause, she spoke. _

_"These are all trivial matters I am very aware of," she said with an amused grin. "That is why I want you. However," she raised herself upright and began to slowly prowl to Angelina's seat. "You could afford to learn a few manners." With a quick snap of her fingers, the queen magically bound Angelina to her seat. _

_Angelina struggled to free herself as soon as she became aware of the restrictive presence of the invisible binds. Regina continued to approach her, her stance threatening and demeaning. Once standing before the flustered girl, the brunette grabbed at young girl's chin with her thumb and forefinger, forcing Angelina to stare into her eyes. _

_"Don't forget who you are dealing with," she warned slyly. And before Angelina could open her mouth to rebut, the queen had her whisked away to her chambers in a billowing cloud of purple. _

_Angelina was shocked to see her surroundings change so quickly. A mere second ago, the queen had stood before her, and now, she stood in her room, quiet and alone. Fuming and seething. _

_This was it. No more games. Angelina was going to confront Regina again, right here, right now, and end this. Regardless of if she died, Angelina was going to end her misery right now. Stalking towards her door, purpose and determination, wrath and acrimony clouding her better judgment, Angelina took hold of the doorknob and pushed on the large wooden doors. No movement. She tried a bit harder. The doors wouldn't budge. She was locked in. _

_How dare that woman confine her? How dare she ask questions about Daniel? How dare she feign concern for Angelina's life? How dare she absolutely ruin all of Angelina's logic and drive?_

_Angelina hated her. Hated her with all her being. Queen Regina was pure evil. Malicious, calculating and cold. And now, Angelina was doomed to spend the rest of her days in this dark, looming castle with the one woman she couldn't stand. _

_Feeling hopeless and vulnerable, Angelina pounded on the door, screaming and crying out all her frustrations and sorrows. She cried for Daniel. She cried for her family. She cried for loss of innocence. She cried for herself. _

_She continued until her knuckles were raw and bleeding. And even then, the tears wouldn't stop pouring. She crumpled to the floor in a heap, feeling more lost and childlike than she ever had in her entire life. She curled into a ball and continued to weep quietly to herself. _

_Why was life so harsh? Why did every possible scenario she entered end with the worse results? What was her other alternative? Death? At this point, death would come willingly. At this point, that's all Angelina wanted. Death and peace of mind. Death and the presence of her departed family. Take it all away. Nothing could be worse than the cards she'd been dealt. _

_Angelina's cries echoed throughout the corridors of the castle until the late night when she eventually cried herself to sleep against the door. Unbeknownst to her, Regina listened from around the corner as the young girl's emotions played out, shedding a few afflicted tears of her own at Angelina's distress. _

…

"So what fun filled adventure did you and Emma embark on today?" Lina teased as she sat next to Henry on his bed.

"We saved a girl from having to give up her baby to Mr. Gold," Henry responded dutifully.

"Okay..." Lina drawled with her eyebrows raised. "Not the answer I was expecting... How'd you two manage that?"

"Emma made a deal with Mr. Gold," Henry sighed regretfully. "She owes him a favor." He looked at Lina from the corners of his eyes. "Have you ever made a deal with Mr. Gold?"

Lina paused before answering. "No," Lina concluded. "Can't say that I have."

The two, brother and sister, sat silently for a few minutes, lost in their own trains of thought. But the silence wasn't uncomfortable. It was a silence of understanding. Despite not being related by blood, they were siblings. They loved and trusted each other just as blood related siblings did. They laughed and joked, argued and fought and simply enjoyed each other's company.

It wasn't until later that Regina Mills came to check on her two children. What she found warmed her heart.

Both Henry and Angelina lay sprawled out upon Henry's bed, fully clothed and fast asleep. Henry's arm was wrapped around Lina's torso and Lina's hand sat on top of his. Regina thought about waking them to put on their pajamas and sleep in their own rooms, but she didn't have the heart to. Instead, she placed a kiss upon each of their foreheads, turned off the light and cracked the door open (for Henry's sake, of course). She left with a small smile playing upon the corners of her lips, knowing that her children were compatible and loved each other. That had been Regina's greatest fear when adopting Henry. She had been terrified that the two wouldn't get along well. Although she'd known it for a long time, Regina fell asleep confident that the two were, not only siblings, but best friends.


End file.
